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Shoppers like to think they're in control of their own food decisions, but there's actually a complex web of manipulations between supermarkets and food processors going on behind the scenes.
Who's really in charge at the supermarket? Most of us assume that we're in control of our own shopping decisions. After all, we are the ones with a grocery list in one hand and a wallet in the other. It should be that way. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) doesn't believe it's so. Most shoppers, even the most conscientious and frugal, can fall victim to the manipulations of a food industry that pairs up with supermarkets to influence our purchasing decisions.
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1) Unconscious MindOur unconscious minds rely on habit and what's deemed comfortable and familiar to us. Supermarkets use tools such as windowless buildings, forgettable music, large carts, scrumptious bakery smells, and constantly reorganized aisles to make shoppers stay longer and, by extension, spend more.
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2) DefaultsDefaults are what you get at the supermarket, unless you actively choose something else. This can be packaging size, product formulations, or standard food combinations.
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3) Willpower ReservesSupermarkets and food processors count on the fact that many of us will go shopping at the end of a long day, perhaps on the way home from work, or with tired, hungry kids in tow. That's when it's hardest to rely on willpower reserves.
It must explain why Cheetos constantly show up in the shopping cart.
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:58PM
My wife and I did evernote for years, then we switched to paper to threaten the kids "Oh look mom is writing down a checkmark, three checkmarks and no WTF" and now she's addicted to google keep so until google discontinues keep (hey, it works and its cool so they gotta shut it down like everything else they shut down).
I couldn't convince her to join the emacs org mode master race. It was probably hopeless to even daydream. Even I feel some of the most extreme org mode people are a little weird, so ... yeah.
This is the most interesting SN article in awhile? We are a group seem to accumulate interesting life hacks, and we all seem to eat, so this is a common topic.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Thursday July 16 2015, @01:48AM
I try to submit a good mix of articles and I'm always curious which will invite the most discussion. Often people comment that they want more technology articles, but judging from the volume of discussion on tech/science/engineering that's not uniformly true. There are occasional breakouts on, say, editor choice, desktop tweaks, how browsers render, and the like, but as you say these kind of lifehack topics seem more reliable.
Of course discussion isn't the only measure of popularity. Maybe the community is as insatiable for graphene articles as I am, but has less to say on it...?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by albert on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:47PM
I like discussing popular junk with nerds. This requires a careful balance, with enough nerd articles to scare away the non-nerds. I hate when the non-nerds show up and ruin the discussion.
About 85% nerdy articles ought to do the job I think. It's the non-nerd articles I'll enjoy most (typically) but if we have too many then we'll be overwhelmed with non-nerds.
I have no desire to discuss things with those who aren't much smarter than cows. With bright people, I'll discuss almost anything. OK, maybe not Honey Boo-Boo, but almost!
(Score: 1) by Rickter on Thursday July 16 2015, @06:09PM
I made a tri-fold document that I update with changes once or twice a month, with items in the order I want to walk through the store, divided halfway down for a second store (less selection, but cheaper prices on the staples). My wife or I print 1 or 2 at a time (keep a spare on the frig for things we use up so they don't get forgotten on the next trip), then on shopping day, she goes right down the list, marks a number or check next to the things we need, writes a few notes in the margin for things that aren't on the list (and can be considered for adding to the printed list when I get back) and I'm out the door about 20 minutes later. If she goes non-food or requests non-standard items, I will probably take 1-2 hours to get everything, but if everything is on the list, I can be done in about 45-60 minutes.
The only child who tags along is the 3 year old. The others all have an option. In a few years, that option will go away for the oldest, because she'll need to start understanding what it means to be responsible with money.