kulutukseenkuluma

Kulutukseenkuluma is a neologism used in Finnish social science to describe the process by which consumption becomes the central organizing principle of modern life. The term blends kulutus (consumption) with a suffix indicating transformation or expansion, and it functions as a label for how goods, services, and experiences increasingly structure social relations, identity, and everyday routines.

The concept covers several mechanisms through which consumption shapes society. It includes how individuals construct and signal social status through purchase choices, how markets and advertising influence desires and behaviors, and how digital platforms—through recommendations, reviews, and sharing—accelerate cycles of buying, using, and discarding. Kulutukseenkuluma also encompasses the subjective meaning attached to objects and experiences, turning consumption into a form of social affirmation and lifestyle practice.

In scholarly use, kulutukseenkuluma sits within broader discussions of consumer culture, the experience economy, and the commodification of daily life. It is related to, but distinct from, the idea of a general consumer society and to phenomena such as conspicuous consumption, planned obsolescence, and experiential branding. The term is more common in Finnish-language discourse and is not yet standardized in international literature, where similar ideas are discussed under related but not identical concepts.

Debates around kulutukseenkuluma focus on its explanatory power for contemporary inequality and environmental impact, its potential to obscure non-material aspects of life, and its usefulness for informing policy on sustainable consumption and consumer protection. Critics warn against overgeneralization, while proponents highlight its utility for analyzing how market logics permeate personal identity and social structures.