How Minimalism Got Toxic: The Dark Side

The project of lifestyle minimalism we see today can be seen as a response to the rampant consumerism of modern lifestyles across the globe in developed countries such as the US, Japan, and the UK. It seeks to reorganize our entire lives according to ideals of intentionality, autonomy, and competence. This begins with the things we surround ourselves with. Using Self-Determination Theory as a frame work, these are qualities that make us happy, that allow us to feel like we are living a life that we chose, and continually choose, on a day to day basis. In a 2020 paper, researchers interviewed people who chose to identify as living a minimalist lifestyle. They found that these people felt less pressure to conform or to keep up with competitive consumerist ethics. While this sounds like a movement everyone should be partaking in, minimalists in the community are releasing video after video about how this lifestyle got toxic. Today we will examine why.

FIND ME HERE
YouTube:    / designingdonna  
Twitter:   / psychedirl  
Instagram:   / psychirl  

CAMERA GEAR (Affiliate)
BMPCC 6K Pro: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/prod...
Canon 90D: https://amzn.to/38VKEEV

LENSES
Sigma 18-35mm F1.8: https://amzn.to/2vbLv5K
Canon 18-135 F3.5-5.6: https://amzn.to/2SZiaot
Canon 10-18 F4.5-5.6: https://amzn.to/2SUcv2U

AUDIO
Sennheiser MKH 416: https://amzn.to/3nBtiXH
Sennheiser MKE2 Lavalier Pro Set: https://amzn.to/2Pl5hmo

CREW
Video by Donna
Writers: Donna & SJ Carroll
Editor: Donna & Matthew Roe
Production Crew: Marygold and Jewel Martinez

Main Sources:

https://www.theminimalists.com/pitch/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/...
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43852807
https://thefinancialdiet.com/minimali...