<p>Creators create, consumers consume what has been created. Consumers watch TV, creators write the script. Consumers play the game, creators design and make the game.</p>

<p>There are all kinds of creators and consumers I guess, from chefs and gourmets to artists and art collectors. Architects and people who like buying cool houses, mechanics/engineers and car enthusiasts, graphic designers and whoever uses their designed software.</p>

<p>In the end though the situation is always the same, on one hand we have a person or a group of people who created something, and on the other hand we have a person or a group of people that bought and "consumed" it. (There is a fine line between creator and someone doing what he's paid to do though)</p>

<p>I'm wondering on which side the grass is greener on the psychological level. Given that the creator likes to create what he's creating, and the consumer likes to consume what he's consuming, which is going to be happier? The artist while he paints, or the person while he admires the painting, the chef while he creates the recipe and cooks, or the person enjoying the food afterwards, the game developer or the person playing the game?</p>

<p><strong>Is the creator or the consumer more likely to be happy in the short</strong> (while it is being created vs while it is being consumed) <strong>and long term?</strong> (after it has been created vs after it has been consumed)</p>

<p><strong>And what are the long term effects on our brains by spending most of our days creating</strong> (be it writing, painting, welding or programming or whatever) <strong>versus the long term effects on our brains by spending most of our days consuming ?</strong> (watching tv, playing video games, eating fast food or mindlessly browsing the internet)</p>

<p>Or in just one question: how will it affect a persons mind to go from being mostly a consumer to being mostly a creator or vice versa?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-02T18:26:18.673Z
Could you cite previous research on this classification, as well as it's useful applications?
Seanny123
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-02T19:10:00.997Z
Well, there's tons of research on consumers, but little on creators (I can't find any, in fact there isn't even an official term for creators as far as I am aware) a lot of consumer research is hidden behind paywalls though since that information can be (and is) used for market manipulation. There's a ton in here: http://jcr.oxfordjournals.org/content/jcrs-40th-anniversary
There's also consumer neuroscience which would be more on topic.

The useful applications mostly regard brain health, consuming too much slowly fries your brain, creating too much overworks it, I want to find the balance.
Cestarian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-02T19:26:48.263Z
Supporting that consumerism fries your brain and creating too hard overworks it.

Creation is a type of work as I sort of described in my above post, it's also the type of work that most engages your brain (i.e. you can't really create or invent a lot of things when you're flying on autopilot)

https://hbr.org/2009/10/dont-overwork-your-brain

There's also for consumers, the effects of too much tv, it hasn't really been researched enough yet. But it's being done.

http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2012/10/22/mushy-brains-and-shorter-lives-is-tv-really-that-bad-for-you/
Cestarian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-02T19:32:01.547Z
There is also some research being done suggesting that interactive visual media is even more harmful than TV https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much-screen-time-damages-the-brain

But in the end, they're both harmful, and there have to be some factors that watching tv or playing video games all day both have in common.

But the bottom line is, you can consume too much, you can create too much, and you can do too little of both, finding that sweet spot could help feature parents and schools better raise children.
Cestarian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-01T07:17:24.267Z
@cestarian: this is actually a really good question. Perhaps could be organized better...? Either way, I do get your questions intent and would be interested to know any info on it. From observation, consuming is usually more fun and desirable. Most people would rather have the goodies - cell phones, video games, movies, than work to make them. If one is financially well off, it is easier to just indulge in others work or creativity. For example, where I come from, most people consider engineering beneath them...but drive the nice cars and use the latest technology.
Greg McNulty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-03T12:31:51.023Z
@GregMcNulty Well, I'm open to suggestions for how i could better word it.

Engineering is a job, often in manufacturing or repairing tech, creating a load of the same product is going to get boring after a while even if it's probably cool at first. The creators I'm referring to would be one step above engineers, the hardware designers.

Programmers also fit my bill since they have significantly more freedom in how they write the requested code. Some engineering jobs have a similar kind of freedom, but not all.

And considering engineering beneath you is brutally conceited and shortsighted.
Cestarian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-12T23:47:44.963Z
@cestarian: I am already referring to hardware designers and programmers! yes I know it is conceited and shortsighted, i didn't argue with that but ... there are many populations or social groups (or the majority or the culture, where i come from) that  think this way.
Greg McNulty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-14T13:09:45.313Z
@GregMcNulty oh believe me I wasn't pointing fingers. Just the obvious :P there are many populations and social groups that are painfully stupid on average. In the case of the ones you speak of, seemingly they're stupid because they can afford to be. Let me guess, they even glorify it in the same way heaps of people glorify not knowing how to use a computer beyond accessing the browser? But well I guess that all is off topic, at least we were on the same page the whole time then regarding what kinds of engineers would apply to the creator half of the equation :)
Cestarian
<consumer-psychology><creativity>
Consumer vs creator, what are the differences?
Cestarian
# Consumer vs creator, what are the differences?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-02)

Creators create, consumers consume what has been created. Consumers watch TV, creators write the script. Consumers play the game, creators design and make the game.

There are all kinds of creators and consumers I guess, from chefs and gourmets to artists and art collectors. Architects and people who like buying cool houses, mechanics/engineers and car enthusiasts, graphic designers and whoever uses their designed software.

In the end though the situation is always the same, on one hand we have a person or a group of people who created something, and on the other hand we have a person or a group of people that bought and "consumed" it. (There is a fine line between creator and someone doing what he's paid to do though)

I'm wondering on which side the grass is greener on the psychological level. Given that the creator likes to create what he's creating, and the consumer likes to consume what he's consuming, which is going to be happier? The artist while he paints, or the person while he admires the painting, the chef while he creates the recipe and cooks, or the person enjoying the food afterwards, the game developer or the person playing the game?

**Is the creator or the consumer more likely to be happy in the short** (while it is being created vs while it is being consumed) **and long term?** (after it has been created vs after it has been consumed)

**And what are the long term effects on our brains by spending most of our days creating** (be it writing, painting, welding or programming or whatever) **versus the long term effects on our brains by spending most of our days consuming ?** (watching tv, playing video games, eating fast food or mindlessly browsing the internet)

Or in just one question: how will it affect a persons mind to go from being mostly a consumer to being mostly a creator or vice versa?

**Tags:** consumer-psychology, creativity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Could you cite previous research on this classification, as well as it's useful applications?  
> **username_0**: Well, there's tons of research on consumers, but little on creators (I can't find any, in fact there isn't even an official term for creators as far as I am aware) a lot of consumer research is hidden behind paywalls though since that information can be (and is) used for market manipulation. There's a ton in here: http://jcr.oxfordjournals.org/content/jcrs-40th-anniversary There's also consumer neuroscience which would be more on topic.  The useful applications mostly regard brain health, consuming too much slowly fries your brain, creating too much overworks it, I want to find the balance.  
> **username_0**: Supporting that consumerism fries your brain and creating too hard overworks it.  Creation is a type of work as I sort of described in my above post, it's also the type of work that most engages your brain (i.e. you can't really create or invent a lot of things when you're flying on autopilot)  https://hbr.org/2009/10/dont-overwork-your-brain  There's also for consumers, the effects of too much tv, it hasn't really been researched enough yet. But it's being done.  http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2012/10/22/mushy-brains-and-shorter-lives-is-tv-really-that-bad-for-you/  
> **username_0**: There is also some research being done suggesting that interactive visual media is even more harmful than TV https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much-screen-time-damages-the-brain  But in the end, they're both harmful, and there have to be some factors that watching tv or playing video games all day both have in common.  But the bottom line is, you can consume too much, you can create too much, and you can do too little of both, finding that sweet spot could help feature parents and schools better raise children.  
> **username_2**: @cestarian: this is actually a really good question. Perhaps could be organized better...? Either way, I do get your questions intent and would be interested to know any info on it. From observation, consuming is usually more fun and desirable. Most people would rather have the goodies - cell phones, video games, movies, than work to make them. If one is financially well off, it is easier to just indulge in others work or creativity. For example, where I come from, most people consider engineering beneath them...but drive the nice cars and use the latest technology.  
> **username_0**: @GregMcNulty Well, I'm open to suggestions for how i could better word it.  Engineering is a job, often in manufacturing or repairing tech, creating a load of the same product is going to get boring after a while even if it's probably cool at first. The creators I'm referring to would be one step above engineers, the hardware designers.  Programmers also fit my bill since they have significantly more freedom in how they write the requested code. Some engineering jobs have a similar kind of freedom, but not all.  And considering engineering beneath you is brutally conceited and shortsighted.  
> **username_2**: @cestarian: I am already referring to hardware designers and programmers! yes I know it is conceited and shortsighted, i didn't argue with that but ... there are many populations or social groups (or the majority or the culture, where i come from) that  think this way.  
> **username_0**: @GregMcNulty oh believe me I wasn't pointing fingers. Just the obvious :P there are many populations and social groups that are painfully stupid on average. In the case of the ones you speak of, seemingly they're stupid because they can afford to be. Let me guess, they even glorify it in the same way heaps of people glorify not knowing how to use a computer beyond accessing the browser? But well I guess that all is off topic, at least we were on the same page the whole time then regarding what kinds of engineers would apply to the creator half of the equation :)  

---

## 0 answers

