“Belongings being so easily conflated with belonging, Instagram induces a longing to be on a scene, the scene, the next one, a better one” : Instagram photos are the new Bergdorf windows (nytimes)

look but don’t touch: wanting expensive things feels better than owning them in the atlantic

“Thinking about acquisition provides momentary happiness boosts to materialistic people, and because they tend to think about acquisition a lot, such thoughts have the potential to provide frequent mood boosts,” Richins wrote, “but the positive emotions associated with acquisition are short-lived. Although materialists still experience positive emotions after making a purchase, these emotions are less intense than before they actually acquire a product.”