Some people obsess over Facebook updates. Others like to gamble online. And still others have a thing for Internet porn. Online shopping is my vice. Compared to some other online activities, online shopping (or window shopping) sounds innocent, but as a result of the serious lack of opportunity for closet expansion in the Ithaca area, online browsing and spending is taking up way too much of my time. I recognized my disease last week, after spending an absurd amount of time in a computer lab where I should have been studying for a research methods prelim. But instead of analyzing SPSS data, I spent my time poring over the American Apparel online store and the customer reviews of a specific skirt I was interested in purchasing. Although I do not think I have a psychosocial “issue” that lead me to this online space, I can certainly say that there are more than a few American Apparel customers showing symptoms of PIU. An outrageous number of people are interested in seeing a polyester microfiber tulip skirt in neon orange, and are making their opinions very public on customer feedback pages. In any case, they are doing a good job of maintaining virtual presence.
It is very easy to get carried away while browsing online store to online store. The locus of control an online consumer has is, in many ways, greater than the control one has while shopping in person. ANYTHING can be purchased online, and thanks to sites like eBay and Amazon.com, almost anything can be found at some sort of discount. For some, social comfort and diminished impulse control can lead to disproportionate use of online shopping compared to shopping in person. People who feel uncomfortable trying items on in a department store, or people who would not even want to walk into a store for fear of snooty salespeople, will certainly feel much more comfortable browsing through store inventories in the privacy of their own homes. This idea coincides nicely with Caplan’s idea of self-perceptions of social incompetence, because shopping online is far less threatening experience than trying on bikinis in the dead of winter under miserable fluorescent lighting. The factor that has the greatest influence on my PIU is distraction/procrastination. I’m looking at new shoes for Spring 2008 as I type this very blog.
Computer mediated shopping certainly has the ability to gain preferential status over “real” shopping due to factors of anonymity and heightened private self-awareness, as well. I would never purchase a silver lamé swimsuit in person, purely because I am too afraid of American Apparel’s hipster salespeople seeing me in it. But I will be ordering one online some time before spring break. Now, if only there were online tanning beds…
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Online shopping has definitely frustrated a whole new generation of shoppers, and made those used to shopping in stores a little schizo as well. Though I think that "perceived social control" and "social distance" (from earlier social comm. theory) play a role in shoppers migrating online, the ability to search for better -- that perfect cross-section of style and economy; the search for the best price; the search for the most outrageously different clothing (the 'limited run' items). These all drive consumers to scour the web, often waiting for prices to fluctuate or for eBay sales to end. The myriad of options, "The Paradox of Choice," is evidently creating a PIU -- online shopping addiction.
I really liked your blog. It is very true, online shopping is probably a very popular case of PIU with many people. It made it even better the fact that it was about you and you acknowledge your problem (they say it’s the first step to recovery). The online stores are very accessible with abilities to shop 24/7 at any place. You can pretty much go online at 2am if you get the urge. You brought up a good point about the anonymity aspect with some people not wanting to try on clothes in the store due to self-conscious issues. They can avoid embarrassment and can order pretty much whatever they want as no one will know except for themselves. Also many believe they have locus of control. They think they can just go online to browse and control the urges, but a shopping cart of $200 dollars proves otherwise.
Post a Comment