It’s time to break up with Amazon!
In March, I announced I’d be fasting from corporate overlords for Lent. Amazon, Target, AirBnB, and other companies either have scrapped their DEI programs or their leaders have supported the current administration, and I don’t want my $ funding them. Several weeks after Easter, my fast from most of these companies has continued. I’ve continued to avoid Amazon entirely by ordering directly from manufacturers and shopping locally.
When my friend Marcia read my article, she shared with me that she has NEVER used Amazon. She shared this article with me and gave me permission to publish it. She outlines many reasons to avoid Amazon…way beyond Jeff Bezos’ support of Trump. It’s excellent food for thought.
Why I don’t use Amazon
By Marcia Chapman
Here’s a confession for you. I don’t use Amazon. I don’t have an Amazon account. I don’t order anything from them.
Recently a friend asked me, “How do you do it? How do you not use Amazon?” The question took me aback. I have never considered HOW I get around using Amazon because I simply never really have used the service. This means I have gotten quite good at smiling at people when they say, “Oh, you can get it on Amazon.” Because unless I want to have a conversation around why I choose not to use Amazon, it’s easier to just smile and nod.
Being tired of smiling and nodding I am writing this essay to answer two questions: Why don’t I use Amazon? and How don’t I use Amazon?
Why do I avoid using Amazon?
I avoid using Amazon because it is in direct conflict with how I choose to live my life. Here are a few of the things that using Amazon can cause.
Too much stuff
Have you noticed that Americans are drowning in stuff? I belong to a Facebook “Buy Nothing” group and I see so much stuff changing hands through that group. Sometimes a member posts that they are doing a “purge” and lists a bunch of items they are looking to offload. That same individual will post again in a few months. While it is a worthwhile and valuable thing to try to find homes for your things, I wonder where all this stuff comes from in the first place. It is so easy today to order something that will be delivered tomorrow that people order more stuff than they need.
On average, Americans produce just under a ton of household waste per year per person. That does not include industrial, medical, or agricultural waste! What an enormous cost for the planet in terms of resources and waste.
Did you ever think about why it’s so much fun to buy things? Each item you purchase gives a small boost in dopamine. That dopamine feels good and makes you want to experience that again. A friend tells me that she gets a warm feeling when she knows that an Amazon delivery will be on her doorstep.
But what happens next? You use something for a bit and then must get rid of your purchase. When you make that purchase you aren’t thinking of the fact you must get rid of that someday. It takes enormous effort to get rid of things. Before you purchase something from Amazon (or anywhere), consider what it will cost to get rid of your purchase.
I leave this section with a quote from Jose Mujica, former president of Paraguay:
“If I have too much luggage, too many material goods, that makes me worry I have to defend this stuff - then in that case I will not have time left to take care of the things I really love, and then I lose my freedom.”
Big Business
Remember when Amazon was an online bookstore? They are not an online bookstore. In fact, they are not an online retailer. They are a combination of an online retailer, a data company, a software company (Amazon Web Services), an entertainment company, a healthcare provider, and more. Through subsidiaries they are involved in groceries (Whole Foods), artificial intelligence (AI; Alibaba), home security (Ring), and more. The company’s ubiquity leads to enormous amounts of data controlled by one organization (more on that later).
Significant portions of online retailers use Amazon’s software to manage their sales. They may even use Amazon trucks to deliver the goods they sell you. In 2023, of Amazon’s total profits of $36 billion, $24 billion came from software sales.
When a company is as dominant as Amazon, they are virtually impossible to avoid, despite the best of intentions. I recently purchased an item directly from a manufacturer and it was delivered by an Amazon truck in Amazon packaging.
Because Amazon controls so much of the retail market and the software being used to process online retail, they are a monopoly. In addition to being able to control and dictate pricing in many of their businesses, the monopoly stifles the creativity and innovation of other technology companies.
Data
Remember the old saying: “nothing is ever free”? When you purchase from a company such as Amazon, you are paying with money but also with data. Data is the hottest commodity in the economy right now. Amazon uses your data in their interfaces to recommend other purchases, etc. They have entered the AI world through the recent purchase of an AI startup called Anthropic. Retailers that use Amazon Web Services will be able to use artificial intelligence from Anthropic. AI is ALL about the data. When you use Amazon, your data lands in the hands of any online retailer using AWS. Have you read the privacy policy? Most of us do not know where our data is being used.
Your data is also being used to direct entertainment companies and identify your purchasing patterns to encourage more purchases. AI and big data are focused exclusively on maximizing the amount of money the company makes.
I am particularly concerned about the impact this will have on creativity. For example, the recent spate of Marvel Universe movies are guaranteed to make money for movie studies. The data algorithms have shown this to the studios, so they fund these movies. But with so many movies following a narrow genre, what are we missing? What interesting and creative movies aren’t being made because of the AI algorithms?
The same holds for books. If a book has to be a bestseller in order to be published, what interesting and challenging books are not published and promoted? It is certainly true that editors’ opinions about which books are to be published are imperfect. But so is the opinion of the algorithm that cannot see the value in new ideas. Thankfully small independent printing presses are still bringing out books that don’t fit the algorithm. Seek them out when you can and see what you find.
Community
Every time you shop online, there is an economic impact on the local community. Recently I wanted to buy earrings in the shape of mushrooms. I mentioned this to a high school student. Her response was, of course, “Amazon.” I told her I don’t use Amazon and I would rather buy from a local artist. This seemed like a new concept to her and one that she liked. Ultimately, my daughter’s partner went to a craft fair and bought me a pair of earrings. The earrings are adorable but they mean SO much more than they would if they had been purchased on Amazon.
I buy all my books from the local bookstore. If they don’t have them in stock the store will order for me and either deliver or hold them for me at the store. I am also able to purchase e-books and audio books from them. This store holds readings, gives books to local charities for kids, and supports local writers. By buying through them I am supporting all of these activities as well as supporting local jobs.
Social Interaction
Our world has become increasingly isolated and separated. We have fewer and fewer places to go and see people in real life. Since the pandemic, even the workplace is virtual. But when I go to the store, I have to interact with someone, if only a smile and nod in the grocery aisle. Recently I went to an office supplies store to buy pens (I love pens). I had a brief interaction with a young man behind the counter. It was really only pleasantries, but I love the chance to see young people learning and working. How do we counter negative stereotypes if we never see young people in real life, only in videos?
Shopping is also an extension of our neighborhood networks. I recently ran into a neighbor in the grocery store. We chatted briefly about some work she is doing to help another neighbor, giving me a glimpse into her life that I can’t get from behind my computer. Another time when I ran into a neighbor, we enjoyed the conversation so much that my husband and I invited the neighbor and his wife for dinner. Yet another connection made through being in a physical store.
While these might seem like small anecdotes, in 2023 the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published a report titled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” One in two American adults report feeling lonely and isolated. This has a very real impact on our health, as much impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! We need more than just shopping in person to address the loneliness epidemic but it’s a start.
How do I avoid using Amazon?
I’ve shared why Amazon may not be the best solution. The question often arises as to how I manage to avoid using Amazon. I struggle with this question because I have never found Amazon to be a necessary part of my life. But here are some thoughts.
Local
I try to use local brick and mortar stores if I can. For example, I buy books from an independent bookstore, coffee at the grocery store, and stationary and gifts at local stores. Local hardware stores carry nearly everything you need for a home project.
Some big box stores suffer from some of the same problems that Amazon has. But their influence does not have the same scale as Amazon’s multiple business lines. At least at those stores I can look someone in the eye and ask for help. I might also see my neighbors in the aisle looking for something.
Manufacturer websites
For things that I can’t find locally, I can order nearly everything from the manufacturer’s website. This requires that I scroll past all the Amazon paid advertising when I search for the item on the internet. I find that if I need something, seeking out the originating company online is worth the few extra minutes. I can order directly from that company and get delivery as fast or nearly as fast as I could through Amazon. The process of determining what I need and how to get it slows down my consumption.
For frequent needs such as a special dog food or a coffee the local store doesn’t carry, you can set a reminder on your phone. Some companies will put together a subscription and automatically mail it to you.
Entertainment
Each person must make their own decisions about where to get their entertainment (streaming services, local movie theaters, etc.). I am not a big consumer of video entertainment. I enjoy a movie at a local theater about five or six times a year. But if you’re a big entertainment consumer, you can look for a streaming service that offers indie films. Get DVDs from your library. Even better, attend a performance of a local theater company. I have had wonderful experiences at amateur theaters, and I am fortunate to live close to a professional theater.
And of course, entertainment doesn’t require a performance. Invite a friend for dinner, join a knitting or other hobby group, or walk the neighborhood (meeting your neighbors in the process).
A Challenge
I challenge you to take a three-month hiatus from Amazon. If you need something during that time, spend your Saturday morning looking for it (you can usually go to a store’s website to see if it’s in stock). If you see something you like, think about whether you really need it and what price you will have to pay once you have it.
Thanks, Marcia, for sharing your perspectives!
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