More than just a packaging issue, over-packaging is a reflection of the competitive, appearance-oriented society we live in. It reveals our obsession with external packaging and suggests that we’ve lost sight of true value and inner importance.
We are often disappointed when we open a package of sweets and see what is inside. We criticize confectioners for over-promising their products, to the point where we say something ridiculous like, “I bought nitrogen and they gave me sweets as a bonus.” Overpackaging is using more resources and money than necessary to package something. Whether it’s packing food or goods in a bag that’s much larger than the item itself, or using more layers than necessary, it’s all part of overpackaging. Another example of overpackaging is when a bag is opened and the contents are much smaller than expected, or the product itself is disappointing compared to the packaging. This phenomenon is more than a one-time disappointment, it’s creating distrust among a growing number of consumers. As a result, the phrase “all bells and whistles, no substance” is becoming more and more common.
Hype creates controversy and resource or economic problems among people. However, hype is ultimately a reflection of our competitive and appearance-oriented society, and we are caught up in this world of hype. This phenomenon is not just limited to products. It’s easy to spot the signs of overpricing in many of the situations we encounter in our daily lives. For example, when the food served at a high-end restaurant feels much smaller than it is, we are faced with the illusion of over-packaging once again. The disappointment we feel when a service or product looks good on the outside is not so different from the case of snack packaging.
Consumers are forced to judge the quality and quantity of a product based on its packaging. There are so many different varieties of the same product that it’s impossible to try them all and pick your favorite. Since consumers can’t see what’s inside the package beforehand, they believe that the product inside is what the wrapper reflects. So they have to rely on what they see on the outside of the package. Because of this optical illusion, most product manufacturers are very careful about the packaging of their products. They are intensively researching how to package their products in a way that makes it look like there is more of it, but the quality looks good, and the consumer is not disappointed when they open it. As a result, in today’s society, packaging is not only used to protect goods, but also to tempt consumers to buy them. In particular, this temptation is carefully tailored to the consumer’s eye level. If the packaging is too plain or subtle, it will not attract consumers’ attention, and if it is too colorful, it will make them doubt the authenticity of the product. This is why manufacturers are constantly conducting market research and analyzing consumer psychology to find the optimal packaging strategy.
The small role of ostentatious packaging in luring people in is outweighed by the fact that it wastes too much material, is costly to the economy, and has a negative impact on the environment due to the amount of packaging that is discarded. Today, environmental issues are more important than ever, and overpackaging is one of the main culprits. For example, tons of plastic and paper are used and thrown away every year just for single-use packaging. This is more than just a waste issue, it’s a serious problem considering the waste of resources and the impact it has on the global environment. But the biggest problem is that consumers are frustrated by overpackaging. When we open the package and find that the product is not of the same quality or quantity as the packaging suggests, we often complain. The perception of over-packaging is negative, to the point of saying, “I’ve been scammed.” Consumers would rather have packaging that shows the product as it really is. Even national governments are cracking down on overpackaging because of the waste of resources and criticism from consumers. In one case, a company was fined up to 3 million won for overpackaging Chuseok gifts. However, despite these requests from consumers and government crackdowns, manufacturers are still looking for ways to improve their outward appearance. This phenomenon is a reflection of how people in the modern world are increasingly swept up in a social atmosphere that emphasizes appearance.
In our society, people are judged primarily by their outward appearance, education, grades, and career. Just as we don’t know what’s inside a package until we open it, we don’t know who everyone really is at first glance. As a result, we live in a society where first impressions, or outward appearances, are very important. We spend a lifetime studying and working to build up our education and career, spending tons of money on our appearance, and over-packaging ourselves. Even though this wrapper doesn’t reflect our real personality and thinking, too many people waste tons of time and money just to put it on. In the end, these endeavors give us superficial satisfaction, but they often don’t lead to inner growth. In this social climate, we are constantly packaging ourselves in order to fit in with others. However, this is only for a short time, and eventually the real you will be revealed. This is also true in relationships. When we first meet someone, our relationship may be based on appearances, but over time, our true selves are revealed, and that’s when a real connection is formed.
As society becomes more and more competitive, people believe that you need to make a great first impression to stand out from the crowd. Especially in the workplace or university, the number of applicants is very large, so it’s not possible to meet everyone one-on-one, so interviewers look at resumes, which means they only see people’s packaging. So we spend a lot of time and money building up our specs to create that package. For people who are only evaluating us based on these specs, they naturally hide our true colors and flaws, giving us a good impression at first glance. However, just as peeling back the layers of an overly-packaged candy reveals the actual contents, peeling back the layers of an overly-appealing first impression reveals the real person. People focus on the external factors, such as education and experience, and don’t realize that the internal factors, such as humanity and social skills, are more useful in social life. We spend so much time in our lives studying, but unfortunately, it’s mostly for the sake of the test scores and academic credentials that we can show to the outside world rather than for our own psychology. But when you peel back the wrapping paper, you’ll see the real you, the personality that can’t be masked by test scores or academic credentials. Eventually, you will see the contents, such as social skills and communication skills, that the wrapper cannot reflect. These internal factors end up playing an important role in your social life, and they leave a deeper impression than just what’s on the outside. For example, skills such as teamwork and problem-solving, which are not evident in a simple specification or appearance, are of great value in real-life situations.
We can use packaging to represent the idealized version of ourselves. Just as candy makers can package their products to make them look like they have more sweets, we can package ourselves to make ourselves look better and more capable than we really are. But all of the things that are hidden deep inside the hype are often revealed once the wrapper is ripped off, and we are often left disappointed. Wouldn’t it be better to just be who we are in the first place, full of ourselves, and show the world who we really are? We shouldn’t forget that the real value is not in the packaging, but in what’s inside. Therefore, we should pursue inner growth and authenticity rather than relying on external appearances. This approach will make our society healthier.
