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# An introduction to ethical consumerism
Being a consumer myself I would like to talk about one question that many people don't think about; whether their actions as a consumer have a positive or negative impact on this world. According to the Oxford dictionary, a consumer is a person who buys goods and services, especially on a large scale. In a way, we can all be considered as consumers but the question is whether we are ethical consumers or unethical consumers.
The Oxford dictionary defines an unethical consumer as a person who buys goods or services in a way that harms other people or the environment. On the other hand, an ethical consumer is a person who makes choices that protect people and the environment.
Being a student starting his life in this world, I believe that most people are not ethical consumers. I believe that people are not aware of what they are doing as a consumer. They don't think about the things that they are buying and how it affects the world. For example, when you buy a computer, it is not just about the computer that you are buying.
The environment is also affected by the computer that you buy because it contains many toxic elements that can harm it. The people who work to make the computer also _are_ affected by your decision to buy the computer. The people who work to make the computer are exposed to toxic chemicals and have bad working conditions.
In addition, if you are a company or an organization, your customers are also a part of your responsibility.
Thus, when you are making a decision to buy a product, you are responsible for the people who make the product, the environment, your customers and many other people.
In order to be an ethical consumer, you should make sure that the product you are buying is not harming the environment or other people in any way. You can do this by checking on the labels or by asking the seller whether the product contains any toxic elements or not.
Apart from all seemingly true benefits of _ethical consumerism_ that is so pushed to us in every way possible it's also important to take a step back, observe everything with a grain of salt and decide yourself if individuals are really the ones to blame for the mess we live in. But that's a topic for another time.
In conclusion, I would like to say that everyone is a consumer and we are all responsible for the world. It's not about me and you, it's about us and our responsibility to the environment and other people.
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