I Don’t Blame the Internet for Gen Z’s Loneliness Epidemic

I blame capitalism.

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When my cousin and I were teenagers, we used to beg our parents to drive us to the mall each time we met. Frankly, I don’t think we knew what else to do. We had seen the mall presented to us on TV as this fantastic place of teenage bonding, almost as if the act of buying was the ultimate step in ensuring long-lasting friendships…not to mention establishing popularity.

The problem was, of course, that I was a terrible shopper. I mean, horrid. I do not mind spending money on other people, but it makes me deeply uncomfortable to spend money on myself unless I’ve spent a significant amount of time preparing to do so.

Even worse, I do love window shopping. Not only would my shopping partners be the only ones actually, well, shopping, but I would drag them from store to store despite not actually spending money.

My family and friends would find my habits pointless and rude. I never understood why. If the only point of shopping was to buy things, why trek all the way to the mall? Why go through the excruciating process of putting on clothes that the store lights make noticeably unflattering? Surely buying clothing online was more convenient.