The point to keeping these things alive? Economics. At the higher levels, these zombified consumers are literally sold and traded like cattle. Most of the times it's just their info, so that the new 'owners' know how to market/sell to their new property, and pump them for cash like a dairy cow. Sometimes its literally, like a butter-huffer that is specialized in certain jobs and is an obedient cubical-slug.  Those are traded among companies like blue ribbon hogs. They cause no fuss, do what they're told without question, and spend every cent they make, thus practically working for free.