By Alyssa Meyers | Photographer
One thing that plagues this society is the belief that we need everything. Whether it’s a piece of clothing, a new phone or a unique experience, we have been conditioned to believe that we have to have it.
However, oftentimes when we get the thing we “need,” our satisfaction is not met. The idea of instant gratification is truly at play here, and we need to reflect inwardly on why we need it.
What are the intrinsic motivators?
Are we looking to fit in? Are we curious about the novelty of the thing? I think understanding the root cause is the most important part. If we are doing it for ulterior motives, I don’t think there’s justification. Trendy things can be fun and bring joy to life, yet we have to realize they are temporary.
Recently, Instagram has seemed like an ad space for everything we don’t need. Random influencers promoting something that you’ve never even heard of, on top of the massive hauls of PR and products that they advertise as “must-haves.” I’m here to remind you and de-influence you that trendy things are cute, but they’re just a trend.
Clothing trends are probably the worst need, and unfortunately, this demand has propelled the fast fashion industry into a frenzy.
Trendy clothing stores like Zara, Mango and Free People stock all the latest and greatest trends but have rapid product turnover. You can see how stores shift their clothing lines to fit the mold.
This leads to cheap, low-quality items that don’t last and creates a perpetual cycle of buying. In my experience, buying from these stores has left me very dissatisfied and hesitant to purchase from them in the future.
No hate for these stores or these trends, but I encourage us to think a little more before we purchase items on a whim. Acting on a fleeting desire drives us to make impulse purchases and often leaves us discontent.
There is a reason buyer’s remorse is such a heavily talked about psychological topic in today’s society. You can literally find survival guides to get over it. This is crazy.
As we near the end of the semester and move out of or into a new place, I wanted to share a reminder that we don’t need to buy everything new. It’s okay to not have all the latest and greatest things. Keeping up with the Joneses is all fun and games until it runs you into the ground.
Make the decision for yourself, not others.
