Dec. 20, 2025
Hidden Economics of Everyday Items
Hidden Economics of Things We Use Daily is a thought-provoking journey into the unseen forces shaping the everyday objects around us. From your morning coffee cup to the checkout line at the grocery store, this presentation reveals how global supply chains, market incentives, and psychological strategies influence the products we use and the prices we pay.
Each section uncovers the economic stories behind familiar items:
Coffee Cups: Explore the global supply chain, environmental costs, and how oil prices impact your latte.
Smartphones: Discover the international labor, planned obsolescence, and network effects that make your device both indispensable and replaceable.
Paperclips: Learn how mass production and inventory management turn a simple office supply into a lesson in efficiency and opportunity cost. Cars: Understand depreciation, insurance subsidies, and the hidden infrastructure costs that drivers rarely see.
Plastic Bottles: Examine the link between oil markets and packaging, and why recycling is often less economical than producing new plastic.
Designer Sneakers: See how brands manufacture scarcity, create status symbols, and leverage global wage gaps for profit.
Light Bulbs: Compare the lifetime costs of incandescent vs. LED bulbs, and how regulations and utility incentives drive innovation. Checkout Lines: Uncover the psychology of impulse purchases, the impact of barcodes, and how retail shrinkage affects prices.
The presentation concludes by encouraging viewers to recognize the economic principles embedded in everyday life, empowering smarter choices and a deeper appreciation for the systems that deliver convenience—and their hidden consequences.
Call to Action
Ready to see the world differently?
Dive into the hidden economics of your daily life and become a more informed, empowered consumer. Share your insights, challenge assumptions, and start conversations about the invisible forces shaping our choices.
Ask yourself: What economic story does your next purchase tell?
Hashtags
#HiddenEconomics #EverydayEconomics #SupplyChainStories #SmartConsumer #MarketForces #BehavioralEconomics #SustainabilityMatters #EconomicInsights #InvisibleCosts #EmpowerYourChoices
Each section uncovers the economic stories behind familiar items:
Coffee Cups: Explore the global supply chain, environmental costs, and how oil prices impact your latte.
Smartphones: Discover the international labor, planned obsolescence, and network effects that make your device both indispensable and replaceable.
Paperclips: Learn how mass production and inventory management turn a simple office supply into a lesson in efficiency and opportunity cost. Cars: Understand depreciation, insurance subsidies, and the hidden infrastructure costs that drivers rarely see.
Plastic Bottles: Examine the link between oil markets and packaging, and why recycling is often less economical than producing new plastic.
Designer Sneakers: See how brands manufacture scarcity, create status symbols, and leverage global wage gaps for profit.
Light Bulbs: Compare the lifetime costs of incandescent vs. LED bulbs, and how regulations and utility incentives drive innovation. Checkout Lines: Uncover the psychology of impulse purchases, the impact of barcodes, and how retail shrinkage affects prices.
The presentation concludes by encouraging viewers to recognize the economic principles embedded in everyday life, empowering smarter choices and a deeper appreciation for the systems that deliver convenience—and their hidden consequences.
Call to Action
Ready to see the world differently?
Dive into the hidden economics of your daily life and become a more informed, empowered consumer. Share your insights, challenge assumptions, and start conversations about the invisible forces shaping our choices.
Ask yourself: What economic story does your next purchase tell?
Hashtags
#HiddenEconomics #EverydayEconomics #SupplyChainStories #SmartConsumer #MarketForces #BehavioralEconomics #SustainabilityMatters #EconomicInsights #InvisibleCosts #EmpowerYourChoices
