Human live in a group living. Human make some groups to improve their ability. In this group, human feel familiarity each other and try to feel familiarity with their group members. In this group activity, a kind of pressure start to exist. Due to this pressure people buy or do things that other people have done.People call this situation as trend consumption psychology. The pressure is really serious that people cannot ignore easily and this phenomenon applies fashion to choosing the major of university(Bum, 2013). Most of people want to feel relief and they think that they should follow trend to feel it, getting pressure. There are some effects that is about this phenomenon. First one is 'Band Wagon' effect. This effect means that at first conspicuous consumption is started with the rich, however, when surrounding people follow this consumption people call this situation bandwagon effect. In a word, this effect means consumption phenomenon that people consume, following the trend.
When People live in a group living, people started to be sensitive to trend. I can find the cause from the a sense of belonging by purchasing particular products that friend has used. We lead fashion, it is because when we mimic the others' behavior, we can feel sympathy. Moreover, imitation becomes stronger when a group is more friendly, so people follow trend to be more friendly. When people become more friendly, they feel that they belong to the society. The reason why human have desire to belong to societies is that human is social animal. So typically when deciding whether to purchase a particular product, we are influenced from others in the social group. If that influence is closely related to the identity of the group, our purchasing behavior will happen in the direction of 'convergence' in the collective action. For example, nowadays increasing the population of car poor is serious social problem. Car poor is a group who have only car in their property. Although trend consumption have became social problem, there are some reasons like pressure that people consume with following trend. However, this is not limited to consuming. For instance, in an experiment which was enacted by EBS(Jung, 2008), the experimenters set a situation. Excepting subjects, experimenter and others made a promise in advance that do not go out of a room, even though the room was enveloped in smoke. In this situation, most of subjects didn't get out of the room which is full of smoke. After the experiment experimenter asked the subjects "Why did you keep sitting on the chair?" They answered " It's because others also keep sitting on the chair, so I think that the smoke is no matter. And I cannot move to see outside easily because of others." Through this, I can convince that people follow trend.
When people read this argument, they can think that if they are not aware of others' eyes they can avoid this kind of phenomenon. This suggestion is very easy as it seems because the suggesters consider themselves as someone who is not applied to the phenomenon. However, if they faced or realized that they are also applied to this phenomenon ,they would also have difficulty to avoid it. Others also can say that there are some side effects like consuming by force like the rich not to fall behind others. This is true. However, the side effect can become a strong point. According to the 'Naver cast', the author said that we can consider this effect as seeking the selective value of group(Bum, 2013). The opponents also insist that This phenomenon is applied to certain group so that this is limitative. It can be true ,but it is not important. The more important thing is the existence of these kinds of people who are influenced by this phenomenon.
It is true that this phenomenon has various negative effects, however this phenomenon also gives us a adequate social phenomenon. As I mention before this (above this paragraph ). Thus the psychology of trend consumption is not always bad. Through the reasons that I suggested, everyone follows trend. I will mention the reasons of my argument again. People have lived a group living so that they have wanted to belong their society. In the process of belonging their society, they want to feel sense of kinship. To feel this sense they began to be aware of others and imitate common things of others. This situation was developed to the psychology of trend consumption. There are some another reason that people undergo the phenomenon. People get pressure which we cannot see. So, they get pressure that they have to follow others. This is inevitable. Through this I think that "Everyone follows trend."
References
- Kim Hyeon-Jin (2013, April 23) Car Donga.com [Fashion consumption mapr of Korea] Daejeon is the most sensitive to fashion ... Gwangju is ranked NO.1 about Outdoor clothes. Retrieved from http://car.donga.com/List/3/01/20130423/54629534/4-
- Science YTN (2013, February 5) Treend Consumption Psychology. Retrived from http://science.ytn.co.kr/program/program_view.phps_mcd=0070&s_hcd=&key=201302051631589492
- Kim Soo-Jin (2013) The feature of society of Korean comsumption. Retrived from https://www.google.co.kr/urlsa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&sqi=2&ved=0CEwQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seejang.co.kr%2Fboard%2Fdownload.asp%3Ffolder_name%3DData15%26no%3D60%26filename%3D%25BF%25EC%25B8%25AE%25B3%25AA%25B6%25F3%2520%25BC%25D2%25BA%25F1%25BB%25E7%25C8%25B8%25C0%25C7%2520%25C6%25AF%25C2%25A1.pptx&ei=cxMVJKnA82B8gW0u4HIBQ&usg=AFQjCNHP4VTwQdIzvrDSWpSnj5gw3bovMw&sig2=b9WEEGUpGmGjpCPxtBnbrA&bvm=bv.77880786,d.dGc&cad=rjt-
- Bum Sang-Kyu (2013, February 1) [Psychology of Consumption] If my friends buy, I want to follow them. Retrived from http://navercast.naver.com/contents.nhn?rid=199&contents_id=20174
- (2014, September 15) Let's find about consumption psychology marketing. Retrived from http://blog.naver.com/kdcblog1?Redirect=Log&logNo=220122392964
- (2013, October 12)Veblen effect & band wagon effect & snob effect : Luxuary consumption Psychology. Retrived from http://eunh_ye.blog.me/110177640336
- (2013, February 21) Trend consumption psychology If you buy, I also buy~. Retrived from http://blog.naver.com/ekwhdk31123?Redirect=Log&logNo=10160721151
- Jung Sung-uk(2008) Two faces of Human. Retrived from http://home.ebs.co.kr/docuprime/newReleaseView/196?c.page=10
