Consumer Awareness: NEEDS or WANTS?

By Muhammad Amirul Husni bin Zaba 

Every individual loves shopping, buying new things, following the latest trends, and so on. All of that is related to the cost of living and a person’s financial ability. 

In the current way of life, people think more about being fashionable and following current trends, without looking at financial ability. As a result, the community will be forced to tie their stomachs and have no emergency savings. 

Therefore, consumers must make themselves as intelligent and responsible users. By thinking about the importance of living costs and making emergency savings only can one deal with that attitude. 

One of the most intelligent and useful ways that every user should have is to distinguish between a person’s needs and wants. It is related to a lifestyle that goes hand in hand with the instinct of desire that needs to be controlled. 

There are various differences between needs and wants. As for needs, it means the basic interests that each individual needs to continue living. These needs consist of basic needs and secondary needs. Basic needs are mandatory needs and must be met to continue life. Meanwhile, ancillary needs include goods or services that allow humans to live at a minimum level. 

In simple terms, these needs are goods and services that are necessary to survive. For example, food, shelter, and clothing. Food is for the growth of the body and health, shelter is used to protect one from bad weather and dangerous elements, and clothing is to protect the body. Among the characteristics of needs are that they are easily satisfied, fixed, and limited. This is because every human being has the same level of needs as each other. 

Next, the desire is a strong desire for a product, thing, or service with the aim of providing more comfort than normal or original conditions. It can improve the standard of living of an individual because it has more than the required level of needs. 

Among the characteristics of human desire is that they are always changing, complex, unlimited, and difficult to satisfy. This is because it is related to the comfort, pleasure, taste, and ability of a person. For example, owning big houses, fancy cars, and trendy clothes. It is the very opposite of the meaning of necessity. 

Overall, it is not wrong if the individual prioritizes wants over needs in life. However, waste, extravagance, and the attitude of not thinking about the future should not exist in every individual. Keeping it simple and not following current trends is the best way to be a smart and responsible consumer. 

Islam strongly forbids its people to waste, and use buy useless things. As Allah SWT says in the Quran, Surah Al-Isra’ verse 27:

“Surely the wasteful are ˹like˺ brothers to the devils. And the Devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord.” (Surah Al-Isra’, 27) 

This verse explains the prohibition for every individual to waste in life. This is because wastefulness is a characteristic of the devil.

Therefore, funds can be created for emergencies and the future instead of meeting unlimited needs. Then, a disciplined and intelligent user and consumer will be born. ***

(This article is written as part of an individual assignment for Responsible Consumerism, MKTG 4312 class)