The “Smiled Upon” Addiction: An article from Glamour Magazine

“If someone tells you,  you have a problem, cut them off. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.”  Thus begins Glamour magazine’s recent article, 10 things you only know if you’re addicted to sale shopping.

Brashly glamorizing addiction to sale shopping, one subcategory of shopping addiction, this piece ranks a close second to the Barney’s ad from well over a decade ago, imploring readers to take their emotional baggage, fill it with mood enhancing bargains, and get in touch their “inner shopper.”  These are the messages that trivialize and perpetuate the “smiled upon addiction.”

The article lists and describes ten situations that only shopping addicts can relate to and find humor in, such as:

  1. You have a plan and you’re bloody serious about it. Either you’ll leave there with the pieces you’ve been eyeing for months or you’ll leave empty handed. (Well maybe not, I mean you can’t pass on an unbelievable bargain)

This allows consumers to identify with these unhealthy behaviors and enable their purchasing patterns. It’s “okay” to be a shopping addict, the message is. What we know: this is far from the truth.

As with many other addictions, the negative consequences of shopping addiction are serious and far reaching, not just financially, but socially, emotionally, occupationally, physiologically, and in terms of personal development.  But unlike other addictions, we don’t often see articles so blatantly defending its existence or hear world leaders, as we did with ex-President George W. Bush, post 9/11 encouraging Americans to shop as a way of sending a message to the terrorists that they could not frighten our nation.  Give me a break, no pun intended.

By Carrie Rattle

Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence. Read More

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