The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping
Our identities are wrapped up in objects and they can help us transition in our roles, writes Carey Morewedge.
The back-to-school shopping season is a widely anticipated ritual for Americans, with families collectively spending an estimated $489 per child on stationery, devices, clothing, shoes, and technology. Although it may seem like just another marketing season, the significance of these new school supplies extends beyond mere functionality.
These items play a crucial role in helping children transition back into their roles as students, signaling the start of a new academic year. Even though an old backpack can still carry books and functional shoes can last the entire school year, replacing certain items can serve as a symbolic bridge to the new identity our children are adopting.
A new backpack, sneakers, or a graphing calculator can help our children feel like they belong in their new school environment, and teach them that change is a natural part of growing up.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
