Why Do We Keep Buying New Stuff?

This is your brain on shopping. Sales, social pressure and FOMO are part of what drive you to “add to cart,” but the craving for new stuff is also rooted in our own biology. Every time we see something novel, whether it’s clothing, food or a refreshed social media timeline, our brains give us a small pulse of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. This reward system was great for the prehistoric era—new berry patch: good; saber-tooth tiger: bad—but today, it’s contributing to an overconsumption problem that’s deepening our climate crisis. Between 2000 and 2015, for example, production of clothing, footwear and accessories doubled globally, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. And that doesn’t just mean more stuff. It also means more greenhouse gas emissions, more resources extracted and ultimately, more clothing in landfills. “Novelty enhances the value [of] a product,” says Dr. Uma R. Karmarkar, an assistant professor of consumer psychology at UC San Diego. “For some people, buying the item feels as good as receiving the item itself. [But] understanding how the brain works really helps us be more active, more intentional consumers.” Video by Ora DeKornfeld and Special Order Subscribe: Get more from Patagonia: Official site: Patagonia Stories: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: TikTok: @patagonia?lang=en LinkedIn: About Patagonia: At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it.