Consumerism and Mental Health

Just about every female I know is exhausted at the moment. The reason? Christmas and its after affects. While nervous exhaustion can be brought on by having to deal with families over the holiday period, this physical exhaustion is associated with shopping for gifts, cooking extra meals and the sheer work involved in organizing that once-a-year present and food extravaganza that Christmas has become. Ask many people what Christmas means to then and the answer goes something like this: A constellation of frantic demented activities by parents (usually the mother) over what to buy their children for Christmas. Trying to … Continue reading

Disney Innovation in Times Square

Times Square is one of New York City’s most famous destinations, both for the sights and for the shopping. In many cases, the two come together in one iconic attraction. Think of the FAO Schwartz life-sized keyboard-dancing scene in the movie “Big,” or giant playful displays of candy at the M&M’s store and you’ll see what I mean. When I was little, the store that felt the most like a delightful attraction was, of course, the Disney Store. As I’ve mentioned before, I could go there and pretend I was amongst my favorite Disney characters for awhile. In fall 2010 … Continue reading