Labubus, “Bearista” cups, and Trader Joe’s micro-totes: The year’s biggest status symbols have little monetary value — unless you decide to resell one of them on eBay for a ridiculous price, that is. Instead, they’re just flashy, hard to get, and usually have a lot of cool points. That seems to be the criteria for status items nowadays, as I explore in this piece.
Status symbols are traditionally thought of as expensive luxury items, like cars and designer bags, meant to indicate one’s class. But in a time when affordability is driving the political conversation, young consumers are finding creative ways to display their social stature. Status can be earned by getting your hands on something rare, even if it only costs 30 bucks, and posting about it online. Anything from a keychain-sized grocery bag that costs $2 or a stuffed animal can exude status when we’re all being forced to spend less money.
—Kyndall Cunningham, staff reporter, culture |
