Is “Retail Therapy” Actually Therapy?

Is “Retail Therapy” Actually Therapy?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter. Amazon hauls. TikTok Shop. Homegoods. We’ve all fallen victim to the sweet sensation of going on a shopping spree. In an effort to make excessive shopping habits more palatable, the term “retail therapy” was born. Yet, is shopping a valid method to achieve wellness? Or does retail therapy just promote consumerist culture? ANIRUDH via Unsplash Retail therapy is defin…

The Aesthetic of Capitalism: Not Thriving, Just Shopping

We used to buy things because we needed them. Now we buy because we’re bored, burnt out, or just trying to feel something. Shopping isn’t just a habit anymore, it’s a coping mechanism, a lifestyle, and increasingly, an aesthetic. We aren’t human anymore, we’re just consumers. Under late-stage capitalism, consumerism has become so normalised that we barely question it. It’s become the primary way people express who they are, or who they want to b…