Parents' Guide to Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy

This timely documentary raises awareness of not only the environmental impact of excess shopping, but also the levels of manipulation going on behind the scenes that keep us hooked on wanting (and needing) more. There's a lot of information packed into Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, pulling together talking heads from big hitters like Amazon, Adidas, and Apple to describe their experience of working for the companies and their own parts in creating the problem. From the one-click buying that takes away time for critical thinking to reducing the lifespan of products and making it near impossible to fix rather than replace, there's no doubt some dark forces are at play in creating demand and raising profit margins. Then there's the "greenwashing" that convinces us companies are being environmentally responsible, rather than dumping and destroying great quantities of surplus products and turning a blind eye to hazardous waste. These are important messages to reflect on, and the talking heads are notable and interesting, but the structure and visuals get a little too gimmicky at times. However, despite the serious subject matter, there's an air of optimism that dares to hope for a better future led by the voices and ideas of those who've changed their ways and others who've always campaigned for meaningful change.