The murder card

Dear diary, working in a mall, I have come to notice some strange things about the behavior of its shoppers. I could simply describe them by using the words Zombie nation or Sheep bunch is also a good short description. Big companies, or rather the people who run them, are good at observatory. Smart, intuitive, well educated. During their education they have learned tricks, that are not familiar to common man, and the common man probably couldn’t use them, not even understand them. It was their doing that turned normal shopping from being just an errand, something you do by the way into a trip and a fun and amazing experience. And one this started, it never stopped. It just goes on and on and getting worse every year. This probably happened gradually, so it wouldn’t be odd to people if suddenly shopping became an experience instead of errand. Their behavior, their shopping habits were watched, closely monitored and studied, down to the last detail, for one reason only. To make money, to get as much money as possible out of an average person. The sad thing is, that it actually worked. First there were stores, giving things you need it for survival. Then they were things you didn’t need to survive but were there, available for you. Things you never missed until they were invented and brought to your attention. Now you need them, and can’t live without them. But why in the world did people even start buying such products? I think they were tricked by marketing and commercials, most of which are just terrible. A lot of these commercials use your venerability to sell you their products, making you think that you will feel better if you buy the product that is being advertised. Maybe you do. I admit, it works on me too. I buy a pair of pants and I feel like I can concur the world. I buy a new lipstick and when I first put it on, I feel like I can get any man I want. But that only lasts for a short moment, just as soon as I remember that the only man I want is dead. And then I look at myself in a mirror and I feel dirty, sad and even more alone than before I bought the lipsticks. So I need something to make myself feel better. So I buy another thing. Then another and then another and another… The cycle never stops. I, just like everyone else keep buying junk I don’t need, then get worried sick when I am low on money. I am well aware that I am being tricked into buying such nonsense, but I was raise in this world and now that I am starting to be aware of this, is hard to grow out of it. But I am trying. Every time I get the urge to buy something, I sleep on it, and see if I still want it the next day. For most of the, I don`t. The urge passes and I save money. But sometimes it’s still doesn’t. Then I think, what would I gain from buying that pretty thing I saw in the store’s display? When I logically think like so, the urge passes and I feel proud of myself. Proud that I avoided buying something I don’t need, and that satisfaction last a lot longer than the satisfaction of buying new pants. I still sometimes see something and I can’t resist, but hopefully someday I will be able to resist everything, at least I’m trying. Working in a mall has made me more aware of what kind of nonsense the store actually offers. Considering this, I actually got lucky that I got a job there, because if I haven’t, I would probably be one of the many mall people who see nothing else but material things and shopping as a way to get it. Unfortunately, the mall is filled with such people all day long. They don’t realize how it’s all just a big scam to get their hard earned money. Most of them aren’t aware just how much they are being manipulated and taking advantage of. They are trapped in a vicious cycle which is hard to get out of. If more of them realized what they are being sucked into, things would be a lot different. We pride our self on the fact that we are so much better than the society of the previous century. But are we really? Judging by the behavior of Zombie people, we aren’t. Or maybe we really are. Which makes me think, how bad were people seventy years ago? Could they have been worse? Or is shopping on of the rare things that has actually gotten worse, not better? Shopping trips were known in 21st century as well, where families instead of going on a hike, when it was still available, they rather went to the mall. Same thing happens today and I can’t decide if now more people do it, or less. Today there are a lot less options for a trip. You have Mars, the moon and the mall and that’s it. Unless you are rich. Many years ago, space wasn’t available for travel but people then had all the Earth to explore, but they choose not to. I don’t know which is worse. But there isn’t much to see in a mall anyways. Sure the first time can be interesting, but after a while, it just gets dull. Discounts at every corner, just next to coffee shops. Stands, offering trendy snacks and smoothies, which actually made a big comeback after the retro week. You go in to the mall, see an add with gorgeous model in a gorgeous dress, having a great time drinking smoothie. You think, if I get myself a smoothie, I can be just like her. So you do. But there is still something missing. The dress she was wearing, of course. You go into the store and see the dress, you it’s marked as sale item. Without even looking at the price, you decide to buy it, because if it is on sale, it must be cheap. You buy and now what? You have to go somewhere to show it off. Clubbing at night maybe? Yes, sure that is one option, but it’s dark them. So you go back to the mall, where it’s bright, so everyone can see the pretty dress you bought. People just follow. Which can be a good or a bad thing. It`s good when they follow a good cause, it`s bad when they follow something which is not good. So maybe we are not so much better than society of 21st century. Something that familiar faces I see every day can confirm. And I don`t mean my coworkers, I mean shoppers. The mall is massive, attracting thousands of people every day, from around the globe even. But even so, I see same old shoppers every single day. They come in the morning, some leave in the late afternoon, some at evening. They don`t buy much, just a thing now and then, they just walk around and if they get bored, they harass the sales staff. They complain about the offers constantly and swear they will never return because it is so awful here. Yet they do, every single day. They come, they complain, they leave and again, they comeback. Most people go in a mall once, just the see what all the hype is about. They go in for the second time, for the promise of discounts and another fun day. They go on until it becomes a habit, an addiction.