After a long week of studying, tests, long lectures, and note taking, some of us just feel the urge to go on a good shopping trip. Shopping can make a person feel good about themselves by creating a sense of empowerment and fulfillment. According to Time Magazine over half of Americans resort to Retail therapy to improve their happiness. But is this proven to improve happiness or are half of us crazy to think that spending our hard earned cash makes us happy?
Brownell reports “Two professors and a PhD student at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business set out to find out why buying stuff tends to cheer us up. In one experiment, the researchers gathered 45 female undergraduates, showed them a movie clip of a bullying incident, gave them the option of buying a snack, then asked how they felt. Those who bought a snack said they felt better than those who skipped the snack.” He also makes a point by saying the ability to choose boosts people’s moods and tends to make them feel a lot better.
There have been many studies done like the one shown above, most leading to the conclusion that buying if you’re sad or depressed does tend to raise a persons spirits! However, there are still the reports that retail therapy is very dangerous, especially for the bank account. As long as a person is not excessive with their retail therapy, there seems to be no link between sadness and overspending. As long as you spend your money wisely, there will always be room for a little retail therapy after a hard day’s work!
