The Industry of Self-Perpetuating Industry

Industry works by meeting demand, right? The consumer has a need and the producer meets that need. That’s certainly how any industry starts, and as demand rises, costs fall, creating further demand. Now, logically speaking, there should come a time when everyone’s needs are met, with the exception of a new generation seeking its place in the world. Of course, that’s not how it works, with new, ‘improved’ products calling your name or replacements required as your device conveniently gives up the ghost a month after its warranty runs out. Every industry must grow to survive, otherwise the capital dries up, it stagnates and collapses. On one level, this is good. It creates competition and drives improvement, innovation and invention. But the downside is it sometimes creates markets with a false sense of need, just in order to justify the industry’s continued existence or growth: the self-perpetuating industry. The most obvious example is the fashion industry. A warm coat has one job: to keep you warm. No matter what technical advances are made, if it keeps you warm, it is doing its job. But how many of us adults, waistline permitting, will retain such an item until the threads have rotted and the lining thinned? That’s because we also demand style. But that is nothing more than peer pressure shaped by an industry re-inventing the wheel to foment demand. What a dull world it would be if we never changed style, but equally, where does one draw the line for how many clothes we need? Artificial concepts, such as the fashion ‘season,’ have been introduced encouraging us to dump the old and buy the new. Magazines exist with no other purpose than to convince you what you’re wearing is no longer flavour of the month and you too could pull off a new garment like the stunning model in the picture. It feeds into our desire to belong, to be popular, stand out and feel successful; no different than the warrior of prehistoric times preening within the skin of the mighty beast they caught, proving their prowess. But the difference now is the industry telling you endlessly that ‘sabre-tooth tiger’ is so last season, you need a new one or the ‘tribe’ will reject you.

You see similar self-justification in other industries, such as the diet, event/conference or media industries. If diet products were so good we wouldn't have an obesity crisis but every year a new ‘super’ diet appears with a range of commodities for the desperate and vulnerable to purchase. If someone designed a diet that worked for everyone, then they would do themselves out of a business. Anyone working in an office will have seen their fair share of invites from event organisers or perhaps been invited to speak. Some events will be highly valuable, bringing together peers to share and learn from each other, but I imagine the majority will barely meet the value threshold of improving your own business. Venues and the organisers need you attending to justify their own existence. Thus the hyperbole on those invites increases to attract, while meeting demand is no longer the motivation, creating demand is. With the media we’ve seen this develop with 24/7 coverage. There is a demand for news, but is there really a demand for saturation news, looping all day and night? Are we in a situation where the media are driving the need for news, over-dramatising or highlighting non-consequential material for the sake of filling time, competing to be the first to report and justifying their own existence. Surely, this undermines journalistic integrity? The internet with its instantaneous qualities and multiple sources, is just as likely to feed incorrect as correct material, but I am happy to wait for a scheduled time once or twice a day to receive well-consider information, which has been checked and double-checked by professionals following robust standards.

This self-perpetuating industrial complex has also filtered into social movements. The majority start out as well-intentioned and necessary challenges for change, but they utilise the modus operandi of the marketing industry to embed themselves and grow. Others join the band wagon, a threshold is crossed from project to industry, and focus lost of their purpose; further growth sought simply to justify their own continued existence. Someone told me the other day an academic had a grant to help ‘decolonise’ Hadrian’s Wall! Now, I don’t know the full background and suspect it has been embellished through a rabid news source, but if there is an ounce of truth and I interpret it correctly, then it is, of course, ridiculous and an example of finding something to get upset about to fulfil a need to feel aggrieved, while justifying a grant that exists to fuel an industry. Historical interpretated by emotion is never a good thing, and money is better spent improving the core education of everyone to give them a better future, rather than painting the past with the colours of today. We’re seeing similar behaviour in mental health. A problem exists and lots of really good work is being done to address our wellbeing but it has also become a self-perpetuating industry of apps, pseudo-psychology and amateur YouTube videos that don’t tackle the fundamental problem. It dilutes the essential work that has to be done, turning people off with saturation and trivialisation. I saw an advert for a game app which claimed it helped to relieve stress, missing the irony that being stuck in front of our screens is one reason for our poor state of mind.

An analogy for the self-perpetuating industry is a vehicle built to carry you to your destination but soon everyone wants to come on-board to tweak the design and you end up with a hamster wheel, forever running in the direction of your destination but never arriving. Let’s not forget our purpose for each journey when setting out.

Nathaniel M Wrey