Shopping and social media … a quintessential college freshman’s starter pack
Honestly, I’ve never had so much trouble thinking of something to write about as I did staring at this assignment. It took me asking around to friends to think of a topic that I was really interested in, and asking fellow college freshman girls I got some generic answers: shopping, Penn State football, Instagram, and coffee. While these all may seem like generic, material things that one would be shallow to be interested in, I really do believe that there’s a reason people are passionate about such topics.
Social media is such a staple in our culture. We have all heard how damaging it can be to self-confidence and other issues, but we also know that, like anything, it can have benefits. I would be interested in exploring some more psychological facts behind social media because it is such a big part of my life.
For many people, stereotypically teenage girls, shopping can be seen as a lifestyle. Many people share about their shopping addictions, and how they cope with issues in their life through the idea of “shopping therapy”. This is a characteristic that I do not share. While I see peers talking about their love for clothes and constant need for them, I have a strong feeling of guilt when I purchase something I know I already have plenty of. Sure, I love the feeling of new clothes (who doesn’t???), but the guilt of spending money always haunts me. I want to explore this idea further — what are the consequences of a shopping “addiction”? How is fast fashion damaging? Why is shopping so glorified and loved? All of these questions will be key areas that I would be interested in exploring.