Merchification contributes to the loss of unique identities

Research Bulletin #1: The evolution of merch and how it relates to identity loss

We are starting a new column on our newsletter that will feature research briefs and explanation of key findings, pop culture commentary, and short analyses of real-world events or stories that relate to identity and group dynamics. We plan to post these occasionally in addition to our weekly newsletters. Hope you enjoy these research tidbits!

What does your merch say about you?

Last week, video essayist and writer Mina Le of High Brow published a thoughtful (viral) video essay on Youtube in which she discussed the history of merch, its evolution, and how it signals different identities and statuses. She explains that the purpose of merch is to promote something—a band, an organization, etc—but it can also signal a person’s values, identities, and interests. Merch can bring people together (or drive people apart) because it visually signals our social identification to the world.

Calvin and Hobbes on cool guys buying stuff

But Mina claims that the merch industry has gone too far, and it…