Scrolling for the perfect outfit had become an expensive coping mechanism. When I decided I would shop only in person, I felt much better about myself
There was a time when, in order to acquire a new item of clothing – say, a dress – you had to either inherit it from a family member or trek to a store and have an identity crisis in the changing room. Now, you can buy one in under two minutes from your couch.
Online shopping should have made my life easier. Being able to purchase from home or on my commute should have freed up my time and energy. It should have also made me a more ethical, conscious consumer. No need to load up on plasticky tops from Forever 21 – I could use my phone to shop secondhand or from sustainable brands. Instead, the siren song of cute clothes consumed my brain and lured me on to the rocks of infinite scrolling, consumerism and credit card debt.
