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the kardashians are back with a new season of their reality series The Kardashians on Disney+.
As a consumer researcher PsychologyI’ve written about consumer neuroscience and how brands and media shape behavior and self-perception. Looking at The Kardashians from that perspective provides much more than just entertainment. How does it highlight luxury And aspiration is woven into identity and sold back to us as self-worth.
The first episode is a materialistic feast. are close-ups of dior And channel Handbags and belts, diamond jewelry and a homemade sign that read: “Need money for Birkin.” The Kardashians drive luxury cars, wear designer sunglasses indoors and talk about their Saint Laurent outfits.
Even the camera remains focused on gleaming shop windows rodeo drive In Beverly HillsHome to some of the world’s most exclusive designer stores, although no one is actually shopping. If you haven’t seen it, you probably get the idea. In the Kardashian universe, the unspoken motto seems to be: “It’s meant to be.”
In their world, material possessions are woven into identity and presented as aspiration. But is it really all that glamorous?
Overconsumption can reduce our well-being. Young people, especially, often turn to excessive consumption to keep themselves fit, boost self-confidence or gain prestige. Teens who idealize others for their wealth or possessions are more likely to struggle with their sense of identity later in life.
Research shows that children and teens who place excessive importance on material possessions often struggle to develop a clear sense of identity. Without learning who they are beyond what they have, it may be difficult for them to build lasting self-worth and life satisfaction.
Instead of helping us define who we are, possessions can get in our way. They can obscure or distort our sense of self, causing us to equate value with visibility. On top of this, materialism is linked to depression, possibly because people often fail to achieve the identity and happiness they hope consumption will bring.
The Kardashian-Jenners have a massive following. Sisters Kylie, Kim and Khloe each have over 300 million followers on Instagram, a clear indication of their influence.
When we admire someone, we naturally compare ourselves to them, a process known as social comparison. It helps us decide where we stand, whether we are better or worse than others. In this context, owning the same bag, car or dress becomes a way to measure value, as possessions often symbolize status and make the buyer feel close to the celebrity, as if shopping in their world.
Social comparison is known to promote materialism. It can begin to feel like a competition to “catch up” with those we look up to through conspicuous consumption.
When we fail to keep up with the Kardashians, we can feel inadequate, even though we know deep down we were never in the same race. The Kardashian brand cleverly takes advantage of this idea.
Original series title, keeping up with the KardashiansSatirises the human tendency to compare and compete. This dynamic not only adds to the show’s popularity but also its beauty, outfit and lifestyle empires, which invite fans to shop the brand both literally and symbolically.
About the author
Katherine Johnson-Boyd is Professor of Consumer Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University. This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
You might think the solution is simply to choose better role models, but it’s not that straightforward. People often compare themselves to others without realizing it, automatically relying on social comparison when processing information about other people. This trend doesn’t stop at television.
Social media platforms accelerate that same dynamic, giving us endless opportunities to measure our worth against curated snapshots of other people’s lives. Research from 2024 shows that heavy exposure to idealized social-media content is linked to increased materialism, lower life satisfaction, and greater stress.
Another study found that engaging with influencer content showcasing luxury goods can lead to upward social comparison – the tendency to compare ourselves to people we perceive as better off – leading to feelings of envy and a strong desire to purchase similar products to bridge that gap.
From influencer “unboxings,” where people film themselves embarking on luxury purchases, to filtered “day in the life” videos, social media users are constantly exposed to lifestyles that appear effortlessly perfect. When we scroll through feeds full of luxury, beauty, and success, we can become more materialistic without making a conscious decision.
Seeing the extreme wealth of people like the Kardashians surrounded by luxury can trigger feelings of envy and relative deprivation, which can lead to dissatisfaction in our own lives. That dissatisfaction can then trigger compulsive buying as we attempt to soothe those uncomfortable feelings and project wealth onto ourselves.
Not surprisingly, compulsive shopping is closely related to materialism. If you value possessions and feel jealous of others, you are more likely to buy impulsively in an attempt to catch up.
Seeing glamorous lifestyles where people seem to have it all can be fun escapism, but it also blurs the line between aspiration and insecurity. Shows like The Kardashians present a vision of perfection that few can match, yet they invite us to measure ourselves against it.
In the end, the pursuit of luxury can make us feel empty, not rich. After all, when being becomes existence, it’s worth asking what’s left of the self once the shopping stops.