Last term, my roommate looked me straight in the eye and said, “you have a problem”. The problem isn’t drugs, alcohol, or anything remotely lethal. Instead, its my addiction to online shopping. More appropiately, online “window” shopping. Somehow, no matter what I’m doing, I end up on a website looking for new clothing. The worst part is I never actually purchase the clothes in my cart.

I don’t even need to be doing homework on my computer to get distracted by my so-called addiction. I can be reading a book, look over at my computer, and in seconds be on a website with 4 new items waiting to be purchased in my cart. It’s like I completely forget the sole purpose of what I was doing, and all of a sudden I waste hours switching from website to website. Online shopping is my ultimate distraction.

The other day, as I added two new dresses to a cart that will most likely never be bought, I asked myself why I get so distracted by the thought of new clothes. While I’d like to think it’s because I have impeccable style, I realized it’s deeper than that. My constant online “window” shopping is a result of the materialism that is so present in today’s society. I’m constantly looking for new shirts or rompers not because I need them, but because I want them. But I don’t want clothes for the sheer purpose of filling up my closet.

This desire for new clothes is fueled by my desire to impress other people. As consumerism continues to dominate American society, we have learned to judge people first on what they wear, rather than who they are. I can’t say that this epiphany will have me exiting out of all my online store tabs. However, I have become fully aware that I am a victim of consumerism in America, and this consumerism is my biggest distraction.