We Have More Power Than We Realize
The cursor hovered over the “Buy Now” button. Less than a week ago, I’d sworn off online shopping after reading one too many articles detailing how a certain mega-corporation had shortchanged workers and prioritized profit over human wellbeing. I had felt an itch to make my anger known.
And yet, here I was, contemplating purchasing peppermint-flavored toothpaste from an online corporation rather than from a locally owned store just a 10-minute walk away. The frictionless nature of online shopping beckoned; no need to put on shoes, summon the common courtesy of a smile, or deal with the press of humanity while looking for my preferred toothpaste.
Sitting in my pajamas and staring at the screen, I asked myself, “What good would withholding a few dollars do?”
The short answer is: a lot. Refusing to buy from companies that go against your values might feel like the financial equivalent of screaming into a void, but there is proof that voting with your wallet is still an effective way to make your voice heard.
In the early 1990s, Jeff Ballinger exposed how Nike’s soaring profits were possible due to the low wages and poor working conditions it allowed at its overseas factories. His report spurred people to attend demonstrations against the company, protest new store openings, and voice their outrage at large public events, including the 1992 Olympics. By the late 1990s, amid sharply declining sales and unrelenting public criticism, the company promised to raise its minimum wage and monitor its factories to prevent the abuse of workers.
It may seem that a grand gesture, like protesting at the Olympics, is required to force a giant corporation to sit up and take notice, but small actions have also created large waves.
In 2025, McDonald’s switched to using only cage-free eggs, citing increased consumer interest in knowing more about their food and where it comes from Companies such as Pete & Gerry’s, which exclusively sell organic, cage-free eggs, have seen business grow by 20% or more every year—growth that came about as a result of individuals choosing to support companies that share their values.
The effect of such actions is not confined to the sale of cage-free eggs or ethically made sports shoes. In the last year, major corporations of all types have felt fiscal pain following decisions consumers disagreed with.
On September 17, 2025, the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended by its parent company, the Walt Disney Company, after receiving criticism for comments made by its host. In the days following, Disney+ subscribers canceled their subscriptions in record numbers, resulting in an estimated financial loss of nearly $5 billion in the company’s market value. Notably, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was reinstated less than two weeks later.
Sometimes even the mere threat of fiscal pain is enough to trigger meaningful change. In July 2024, writer John Green publicly called out the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson in an online video for preventing access to lifesaving treatment for tuberculosis by inflating the price of the effective drug bedaquiline. Hundreds responded to his call to action and wrote to their representatives demanding that bedaquiline be made more affordable. Within days, Johnson & Johnson agreed to allow the manufacture of generic, affordable versions of the drug.
Every purchase we make is a statement. Every dollar we spend sends a signal. And each time we pull out our wallet, we cast a vote. It is easy to feel powerless, but our choices form the backbone of the economy, and that gives our actions weight.
As Margaret Mead once famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Collectively, our vote is loud. We just have to choose to cast it. When life feels extra challenging, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of buoyancy and positivity. Where can we find joy? It is all around us, all the time, if only we can see it.
