Unquestionably, 2020 has been a year of copious online activism. On Twitter, it has been increasingly difficult to keep up with ever-changing hashtags of new movements created by the minute; on Instagram, “PowerPoint activism,” is everywhere – aesthetically pleasing infographics on anything and everything have been taking over all of our feeds. One that everyone is probably familiar with is the tagline “Support Local/Small Businesses” – a wide-scale call for an act of camaraderie with small businesses that have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
Amidst all of this, we’ve also come to be well-acquainted with a name – “Jeff Bezos.” Way back, many of us had always associated the “richest man” with the likes of “Bill Gates” and “Warren Buffet.” Today, none of them come close to what Bezos has achieved in redefining the limits of wealth that could possibly be amassed by a single person. With one of the gravest economic recessions looming over us, the founder of Amazon has been a major part of an exclusive group of elites that have in contrast, benefited immensely in such perilous times. According to Forbes, Bezos was recently reported to have broken a record for being “the first person in human history to amass a net worth over $200 billion.” And no, you didn’t read that wrongly, 200 billion dollars. Still quite unsure how much that is? Here’s a TikTok video that went viral in February earlier this year, where social media personality Humphrey Yang attempted to visualize the Amazon founder’s net worth in grains of rice.
Let’s be honest, a good many of us know that we have, somehow or another, contributed to that whopping figure of 200 billion. Even in Japan, Amazon is a major (or not top) player in the e-commerce market, staying competitively at edge with local giant, Rakuten. Prime Student has also been one of the greatest perks that came along with being a college student, and we can’t lie, we’ll be sad to let go of Prime benefits like free expedited shipping and Prime Video – yes, Prime Video exists, and there are amazing shows that are exclusively on it like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. Amazon as it is, has been a great convenience for us students: it’s where we get one of the most competitive prices for anything and everything. From textbooks to clothes and shoes, and now even fresh produce if we just don’t want to step out of the house. It’s been a reliable and largely affordable platform that has been successful in providing us with the consumer experience we have sorely missed, one that has been robbed from us in a period of social distancing and public advisories to stay home.
Meanwhile, small and medium-sized businesses across the world have been struck with immense financial losses amidst shrinking domestic consumption in the economy. In Japan, many companies have filed for bankruptcy; plenty have been negatively impacted by travel restrictions, and previous orders for closure and shortened business hours. We’re all familiar with this, it’s been on the news and we’ve seen it constantly on social media. As we scroll through all these purposefully crafted infographics with bold fonts and powerful images, how many of us have actually sincerely committed to them and thought about forgoing the convenience of the largest online marketplace to opt for alternative local sources? The thing is, we don’t, and admittedly, I don’t either. The reality of a college student isn’t all that rosy – many of us have lost our part-time jobs or are in some way or another, trying to find as many ingenious ways to cut our budgets and stay as economical as we can as we soon enter a job market with no jobs. Regrettably, many of us have also been accustomed to low prices made available through the likes of fast fashion and sweatshop establishments where the common misconception that many local businesses price products at a much higher price only make it harder for one to become a more ethical consumer. We hear stories about growing numbers of retrenchment, our families being financially torn, and some of us are personally struggling; we also know how rich Jeff Bezos is, and how we’re somehow irresponsibly and ignorantly contributing to a perpetually growing inequality in the world – it’s a dilemma for all broke college students, we want to be better but we also selfishly don’t want to.
There are, in fact, a few ways we can help with our limited resources; ways we can do better.
1. Eat Local – Take-Out or Get a Delivery
Eating out is arguably, a major wallet-burner for many college students. Many of us do meal prep or even wait out till time sale periods to get food discounted at local supermarkets. But doing this once or twice a week can actually be a great relief too – no need to do dishes! Many restaurants have also started rolling out special take-out menus and many are increasingly available on popular delivery apps. While delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Rakuten Delivery can be a little pricey, the wide-range that many of these apps now provide may be a great way to treat yourself at the end of the week. Lunchtime take-outs are also surprisingly affordable, with many local eateries offering a variety of bento sets below 1000 Yen. Make sure you check out restaurants around your neighborhood – it’s a great way to discover new destinations and maybe even delicacies you’ve never tried before!
*Pro-tip: you might come across small make-shift stores by the roadside in many Japanese neighborhoods where fresh and locally-produced vegetables are sold!
2. You can still shop online, but Let’s go Local
If any of you, like me, have been sorely disappointed each time you find out yet another one of your favorite stores have pasted a limp A4-sized paper on their shutters, notifying the sincerest apologies on their sudden and abrupt departure, it’d be good to try finding out if they’ve moved to online operations. Don’t be so quick to stop reading the notifications after seeing it start with a “due to the coronavirus…”, there might be information on their online store or their future plans. Aside from Amazon, there are many local alternatives like Rakuten and Lohaco that allow you to similarly browse through a wide range of products.
3. Help out with Publicity
Showing support to our favorite small businesses and restaurants by sharing them on our social media pages comes at absolutely no cost. This is probably one of the most effective things we can do following the tips mentioned above. Featuring your takeaway meal on Instastory and tagging the restaurant; taking a selfie with the cute earrings you just bought from a local online store, or just sharing them and spreading the word to your family and friends are all things we can do.
Remember, don’t feel too bad about not being able to spend loads of money at your local shops, but every time you find yourself browsing through Amazon, think twice about your purchase and if you’ve tried sourcing it through local alternatives.