A Story of a Flock of Sheep

Text and images by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Social groups are like a zoo, each with its own kind of community and clubs, as well as a few eccentric outliers between the collective gathering of similar things and marginalized individuals. Especially in today's consumer society and era of trends, flocks of sheep follow the consumption market, political consciousness, or popular trends. Trends create consumption; consumption intensifies production and shapes trends. The social purchasing power is built on national production indices. Productivity drives a thriving society, representing the country's new vitality. Of course, modern society emphasizes consumption indices; the higher the consumption or depletion, the more "evolved" society seems to be. Under this endless cycle mechanism where pigs go in and sausages come out, it is easy for people to become lost in greedy consumption. Evolution does not mean "happiness."

In a trend-chasing consumer society, if there is no "profit" to be made, it will definitely not become popular. Are trends manipulated or manufactured by the market? Of course, consumption involves human endless greed. Although the behavior and attitude of seeking novelty and change drive the development of industry and commerce and new product development, which has positive significance, developing solely to (satisfy) consumption is questionable. Consumer society creates collective consciousness among groups and a society that gathers by category, from daily necessities to arts and culture consumption everywhere. Most obviously, technology and communication devices that update almost every year, from tablet phones, televisions, and computer software, changing with each passing day, exhaust people. There are new versions, new models, and new forms every year. Infinite creativity and convenience serve only to empty consumers' pockets. Each generation is newer than the last, and the gap between old and new generations becomes increasingly irreparable.

Family groups are no exception. Naturally forming their own groups based on interests and tools used, in a diverse and pluralistic society, every flock of sheep enjoys itself within its respective club and group. Cross-exploration and culture become numerous possibilities for expansion and exchange.