Last year, everyone had it on their desks, in their hands between classes—they wanted others to see it. Now, some of my friends are embarrassed to hold it in public. Other brands, like Lululemon, are offering similar canteens for back-to-school. More egregiously, the Blue Bowed Owala recently sold out at Urban Outfitters, leading scalpers to sell them on eBay for a whopping $250–all for a water bottle.
Our parents complain that we are constantly shopping for new and better things. But are they actually better? Does a $250 blue Owala bottle really hold water better than a $20 water bottle?
The rise of popular trends isn’t surprising in today’s world, where cultural capital plays a significant role. As explained in the article “Discover the Type of Capital That’s Most Valuable in Today’s Workplace,” cultural capital encompasses the values, knowledge, skills, and ideas esteemed within a group. It comes in three forms: embodied, objectified, and institutionalized. Embodied cultural capital includes personal skills and experiences, like conversation or writing abilities. Objectified cultural capital refers to material possessions that symbolize status, such as luxury cars or large mansions. Institutionalized cultural capital relates to affiliations with prestigious organizations, like attending an Ivy League school. These forms of cultural capital can significantly elevate one’s social status.
So why does Gen Z obsess over specific brands or types of water bottles? This is an example of objectified cultural capital. Students use these items to fit in and attain a certain social status.
But why does Gen Z do this, but Millennials don’t? What’s the difference between them?
According to Beresford Research, Gen Z are born between 1997 and 2012, while Millennials are born between 1981 and 1996. In 2005, only five percent of people used social media, but now, 70% do—primarily Gen Z. The rise of social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook has greatly influenced this trend.
A study from psychology professor Jean Twenge at SDSU found that high school seniors today spend an hour less each day engaging in in-person social interactions compared to seniors in the 1980s. Social media has clearly affected Gen Z’s perception of social status. For example, racial justice and sustainability are huge social values for this generation, partly because of how easily these topics spread on social media. Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter circulate rapidly, just like the obsession over specific brands of water bottles that have gained popularity among Gen Z.
The Stanley Cup went viral on TikTok when user @danimarielettering filmed the interior of her burnt-out car and found her still-intact Stanley water bottle, with ice still inside. The video gained 94.8 million views because people were amazed by its durability. The Stanley Cup quickly became a viral sensation, and the company responded with limited edition colors and collaborations with brands like Starbucks and LoveShackFancy. A new objectified cultural capital was born from this TikTok video.
Back-to-school shopping is a must for most people, but is it really necessary? Are there actual differences in the usability of these possessions? Probably not, but most people will get new things just to fit in with the social status created by social media. I’ve definitely fallen into this trap—I bought the Owala bottle because I loved the Free Sip feature (an invisible straw), even though my old water bottle works just fine. So, have you ever found yourself caught up in the consumerist cycle, just like me? Trying to keep up with everything that’s trending? Because that’s exactly what teenagers are doing nowadays.
