In an age where artificial intelligence is on the rise and 12-year-old girls are using anti-aging serums, it is no surprise that people are going to the extreme to obtain an insulated tumbler. In late 2023, the drinkware brand Stanley grew extremely popular. The tumbler cups are flying off the shelves and into the hands of everyone. But why have these cups become so popular?
This new obsession can be linked to society’s lack of hobbies. Today, everyone is chronically online. According to an article written on Keyhole.co, “Chronically Online refers to those who spend a significant amount of time online, to the point where their personality revolves around internet memes, culture, and slang” (Panigrahi, n.d.). Screens are starting to replace simple hobbies and socialization skills. They are also replacing something called a “third place.” According to Sociologist Ray Oldenburg, third places are described as “nothing more than informal public gathering places. The phrase ‘third places’ derives from considering our homes to be the ‘first’ places in our lives, and our work places the ‘second’” (Oldenburg 1997).
A third place can be a sport, a church, a coffee shop, and more. People need third places to relax and socialize.
With the influence of the media, people are replacing their third places with overconsumption. TikTok is always promoting the “next big thing” and different trends. One major trend that has been popular since 2021 is being an “it girl”. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of an it girl is: “a young woman who has achieved celebrity because of her socialite lifestyle.” Being an it girl associates a person with being clean, pretty, balanced, and aesthetically pleasing. As Hydroflasks were associated with the VSCO girl in 2019, yet another trend, Stanley Tumblers are associated with the it girl.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Starbucks and Target partnered up with Stanley to make limited-edition pink and red versions of the famous tumbler. In response to this collaboration, people lined up outside of stores, camping out for more than seven hours in hopes of buying one. Once released in stores, people went to a Black Friday level of crazy, sprinting and fighting for the cups. Now these cups are being sold for over $300, compared to their usual selling price of $40.
Sure, the Stanley Cups are aesthetically pleasing, but do they deserve the popularity they have? Should a 40-dollar water bottle dictate whether someone has a good Christmas? Girls all over TikTok were seen crying when they did not get their Stanley Cup of choice. This is not just affecting 12-year-olds; it is an epidemic spreading to people of all ages. This can be linked back to society’s lack of third places.
The Stanley Cup cult following is a simple example of how consumption is replacing the public’s third places. People are buying things to fill a void in their lives. This emptiness and loneliness can also be blamed on society’s dependence on social media. With social skills being used less, people are lacking a space where they have no expectations and can pursue their passions. If society follows this trend of overconsumption to replace their lack of hobbies, not only will third places cease to exist, but the environmental impacts will be detrimental. It is time for society to reevaluate its dependence on consumption.
Little, A. D. (n.d.). Our Vanishing “Third Places”. Planning Commissioners Journal. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from Source
| Panigrahi, S. (n.d.). “What does Chronically Online mean? | Social Media Glossary by Keyhole”. Keyhole. Retrieved February 25, 2024, from Source |
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