In the society we know and live in, survival is all about consumption. Relationships between suppliers, sellers and buyers are present in the daily life of any person even before his birth and accompany him until the day of death – literally, since the relationship of buying and selling services occurs from prenatal care until death. coffin.

But consumption not only guarantees our most basic needs, such as food and a roof over our heads, it also opens up a universe of opportunity for every type of customer that might exist.

And despite what we tend to think of a “consumer” society as a relatively recent phenomenon—with the consolidation of capitalism from the 17th century onwards—concerns about the rules and policies associated with this subject go back a millennium.

ILLUSTRATION – Photo: FABIO ABREU/ND

The Code of Hammurabi, written in 2300 BC, already mentioned trade rules, establishing that their control and supervision would be in the hands of the palace. Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, for example, also had consumer protection laws that penalized sellers who were deemed inappropriate.

However, the basic laws concerning the subject were created in the modern world. The landmark creation of consumer protection laws did not occur until the 1960s in the United States.

In Brazil there were also old methods of consumer protection, psychological “threats” to the inappropriate behavior of merchants even under the Empire, but a deeper debate about consumer protection did not begin until between the 1960s and 1960s. 1970.

Over time, the supply of products and forms of consumption only grow. And, of course, every seller wants to show their product to as many people as possible.

Advances in technology go hand in hand with this process and serve as a major driver. While the world has begun to connect virtually, consumer relationships are also following this trend.

Transformations in behavior and consumer attitudes are repeating, and when we imagine a scenario of what will happen in the coming decades, it becomes clear that the impact can be large and affect many areas of our lives, from economics to psychology and behavioral problems. .