When Inc. asked me to provide some context for the current "anti-shopping" trend as captured in this recent AP story , the first thing I thought of was the photos of Gabriella Galimberti . It's useful context as we consider how meaningful, pervasive, and durable these "no buy pledges" are and will be.
Galimberti spent two years traveling around the world, taking portraits of kids and their toys, and his images capture the way that stuff is the raw material of our lives and dreams since childhood. I get that our brains are older than capitalism. But while we may not be wired to spend, we are wired for dopamine hits, which is the brain-delighting drug that consumerism represents.
But have we reached the overdose point of our shopping addiction? The story I referenced above, believes we have, writing: "What started several years ago as a blogged-about experiment in budgeting and mindful spending has become a popular trend on social media. A Reddit group where people share their experiences has 51,000 members. The challenge primarily gained popularity on TikTok, where some videos of users seeking to hold themselves accountable get hundreds of thousands of views.
" The article notes individual stories about people creating their own behavioral nudges to stop spending: leaving home with a bag filled with books to discourage the purchase of more, unsubscribing from temptation-rich newsletters , and posting on TikTok to share reductionist journeys and gain support. Is this something m.
