Blog Entry #3: I am guilty of...

 As consumers, we all try to get the best out of the purchases we invest in. Afterall, we all want to get our money’s worth, and probably more. We are all guilty of cheating our way and doing something unethical just to be able to have something we want, especially when it comes with an alternative cheaper price for almost the same quality, or maybe better when it comes for free. With this, I wouldn’t deny that I participate in such acts as well. As a student with no source of income, I would say that I rely on a lot of cheap priced goods or access to free stuff.

My financial instability has become a reason for me to look for ways to avail of services and goods that are affordable or free yet offer the same quality that I look for. With this, I sometimes resort to buying dupes that promise the same experience for a cheaper price. An example of this is purchasing a computer game from a third party app for less than 100 pesos when the original price of the game would be over 10,000 pesos. This particular game has been something I’ve been wanting to play for a long time. However, due to its costly price, I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford playing the game any time soon. I was able to find a much cheaper option online and decided to purchase it. My experience of using the product was good. I would say that for the price I bought the copy of the game, I was able to get my money’s worth and so much more. I did not feel any regret or guilt with buying the product and I have no justification as to why I felt that way.

This misbehavior is something that I have continued doing in other purchases. Most of the time I am able to find websites that offer the films, books, or games I want for free, and still be able to enjoy the product just the same as I would if I bought it from a legitimate store for its original price. I am well aware that piracy and purchasing counterfeit goods is a consumer misbehavior that must not be practiced nor tolerated as it touches a variety of offenses in the market. In order to prevent or reduce this misbehavior, what I can do is save money to eventually be able to afford the purchases I want.

As a student of FLCD, and of the University of the Philippines, we promote healthy growth in the different domains of development and one of these domains is the socio-emotional domain. Self-regulation is one of the skills promoted to ensure healthy development. It is the ability to manage one’s own behavior and actions. By practicing self-regulation, I would be able to tap in my impulses and learn to regulate my emotions so I wouldn’t rush