Shopping Mall Homogenization

I remember when I was a kid I used to LOVE going to the mall. Loads of toys and other goodies I wanted but simply couldn't afford. It was a lot of fun to walk around and make a "wouldn't it be nice to own this" mental inventory. Now that I can afford all these things, I keep away from malls like from a bad disease....

I've learned and became aware of the small endorphin release your brain gives you after you purchase something and I've also learned that shoppers remorse is a heavy kick that happens quickly after your purchase becomes transparent to you and you realize you really didn't need that stuff; you were tricked! Perhaps being aware of these things has saved me a considerable chunk of money. These days I tend to buy only what I need, and I am happy with that. Though I have to say that I do miss those times of hanging out with my friends and checking stuff out.

Perhaps malls have changed. Lately there seems to be a homogenizing effect in the malls of America, if not the rest of the world. The more I go to them, the more I realize that they are all owned by just a few large mega-conglomerate companies who use the same marketing formula to create a synthetic sense of happiness, funnel you to a dozen or so similar stores, and have you shop till you drop.

No matter where you go in America it feels like a carbon copy shopping mall formula has been sprinkled across the suburbia's land. You got your food court, you got some kid play area, your GAP, Apple, Banana Republic, Sears, JCPenny, Williams Sonoma (if its middle / upper class burbs) and a bunch of other shops. Its always laid out the same way, the same non-threatening feel-good music pumped in the background and it has become overly obvious what all of these mechanisms are designed to do.

Its a pain to be aware of these things. Now when I go inside I am aware of my stimuli being overloaded by the sights, sounds, smells all designed for my buck. I guess thats the price you gotta pay to get out of the house on a very wet day (until my kids learn to appreciate museums and art galleries - no I dont mean to sound like a snob).