Unnecessary dorm decorations, empty packages and cluttered rooms are all signs of the aftermath of move in day or perhaps the result of compulsive online shopping.
Realistically, it’s no surprise that the 21st century has surpassed the age of technology by advancing to the times of online shopping, but has it allowed consumers to become heavily reliant on the quick click of a button?
Prior to the arrival of the Internet, people valued the in-store access to immediate products and delivery. According to an in-depth research by Entrepreneur in 2017, “There are almost as many people who prefer to shop in stores rather than online -- with 51 percent of Americans preferring ecommerce, and 49 percent preferring heading into an actual store. However, a larger portion of millennials (67 percent) prefer shopping online over offline.”
That being said, the era of browsing through aisles has slightly been dominated by the presence of a click of a button—or in many cases, Alexa. Moreover, by this quick form of intimacy, individuals are given the luxury to shop whenever from work, class and even home.
“As a college student I’m always on my computer, so online shopping is more convenient instead of going out to the store,” said avid online consumer sophomore Brennae Cheatham.
Online shopping has evidently made it easier to not only shop, but to hoard. In other words, it’s now easier for people to buy items they don’t need, and in turn motivating them to buy more than necessary.
As a matter a fact, the few of many factors that go into online shopping include, the ability to shop 24/7, compare prices, less time consuming, and most of all avoiding checkout lines.
Now, consumer based websites such as Amazon, eBay, Poshmark, and Etsy are especially known for their convenient prices and swift delivery, but at who’s expense?
The $800 billion-dollar e-commerce company known as Amazon has been quite beneficial for many young adults, specifically for college students. Amazon offers Amazon Prime Student, which allows students to pay 50 percent less than other prime users with two-day shipping included.
Longwood University’s Mail Services Supervisor, Kristen Smalley, said “70-80 percent of packages are Amazon boxes,” in relation to how many Amazon packages come through Graham Hall.
Needless to say, young adults seem to be the target for these consumer based websites, but the question remains as to why?
“I just personally really hate going into stores because I can’t ever seem to find what I actually need. But when I’m online it’s so much easier than dealing with all the mess and lines,” said sophomore Andrea Dogbo.
However, this has somewhat enabled young adults to further their hoarding habits. In a recent interview, Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business said, “We are all accumulating mountains of things, Americans have become a society of hoarders”.
Ultimately, the ability to access items via technology has paved the way for consumers and manufacturers.
Courtesy of Consumer Reports
