Millennials demanding more consumer choice
It’s often a knee-jerk reaction among people and especially legislators to regulate emerging markets. Be it marijuana or the sharing economy, new marketplaces bring more questions.
How will these products and services impact our communities? Are they safe and what are the consequences? Will legalization help grow the economy?
The aforementioned questions highlight valid concerns, but they’re too often answered by more regulation. However, more regulation isn’t the answer — greater consumer choice is the solution Canada needs. It’s about allowing citizens to choose what products and services best work for them.
And fortunately, polling data suggests that most Canadians agree.
In a survey recently conducted by Nanos Research, the majority of Canadians agreed that greater consumer choice — not regulation — is the answer to many issues the country is currently facing. From opposing the banning of ridesharing such as Uber and homesharing such as Airbnb, to opposing plain packaging for tobacco, to supporting licensed recreational marijuana lounges, and the sale of alcohol by private businesses, Canadians are in favour of market-tested betters.
Instead of looking to the government to control alcohol sales or enact greater vice taxes, Canadians want the option to choose for themselves.
As the data illustrates, Canadians don’t feel this way about just one or two issues — they practically support consumer choice across the board.
The majority of people support lower milk prices for consumers instead of subsidies for producers. They support the ability to buy alcohol across province lines. They support privately owned marijuana dispensaries instead of sales through the Liquor Control Board. At the end of the day, Canadians want to make their own decisions. And although the data tells us that a majority of Canadians support consumer choice, young people are leading the way.
On every question asked, the 18-39 age bloc overwhelmingly supports or somewhat supports consumer choice. In the next two age blocs — the 40-59 and 60-plus age groups, respectively — support for consumer choice dwindles. The older two demographics do have similar support for consumer choice in regards to the ability to buy alcohol across provinces, support for lower milk prices, and opposition to mandated plain packaging for tobacco products. Those are great prospects for Canadians, but it’s not the only issues we’re facing.
When it comes to supporting consumer choice issues such as the sharing economy and legal marijuana, however, the older generations are more hesitant. Canadians 40 and up support the banning of services such as Uber and Airbnb, while the majority of folks 18-39 oppose such anti-consumer choice efforts. Similarly, young and old Canadians disagree on marijuana. More young people support private marijuana dispensaries and licensed smoking lounges than do older Canadians.
There’s a sharp decline in support for consumer choice among older generations on these issues, and that means it’s time for young people to take action.
With young people growing up — pursuing their careers, starting families, paying taxes, and travelling — we can’t allow older generations to determine what our future looks like. Young people can’t let the older generations — who have indebted us with poor public policy — to continue determining what our choices are in the marketplace. It’s our time to get politically involved and support the future of the economy by supporting consumer choice.