Adopting Voluntary Simplicity: A Netnographic Study

Abstract

Voluntary simplicity (VS), a lifestyle centred on frugality, reduction of consumption, and the search for non-materialistic sources of fulfilment, has been gaining popularity and has the potential to advance sustainable resource use. This study considers the drivers, practices and consumer decisions of those aspiring to live more simply, based on a netnography of 21,198 comments on 635 posts from an online community of VS. We focus on people in the early stages of becoming simplifiers. Findings are organised into four main topics: meanings of VS according to early-stage simplifiers; main drivers to lifestyle adoption; practices; and buying decision process of these simplifiers. Insights from this study enhance our understanding of why people simplify their lives voluntarily, what this means to them, and the practices and processes involved in becoming a voluntary simplifier. In particular, the flexibility of how VS was understood by the members of the subreddit and how the community was able to accommodate multiple paths to simplifying provide valuable insights into the process of negotiating a lifestyle change. We propose a research framework mapping VS adoption, and suggestions for further studies, and finally discuss implications for theory and practice.