After a long time, 30 minutes, but it felt like 2 hours of shopping, the children have finally begun the descent to exhaustion. Their weary eyes flutter, and feet drag languidly through the isles. Many other shoppers hear the usual, “Can we go home now?” from the begging child. Yet, once kids arrive at the checkout line, their faces are alight with glimmers of interest for one particular reason: a sticker. A light at the end of the tunnel per se that kids can get a sticker with their favorite character or color. The sticker includes them in the shopping experience and is a reward. This will leave positive memories of shopping with their parents and make them more inclined to go shopping again. Yet, at which age does the river of stickers stop flowing into the hands of the young? The age where the joy at the sight of a sticker fades as children grow up, or at least I thought. Upon contemplation of the value of a sticker, I realized stickers are everywhere! From the position of cash register gifts, they have risen to be a worldwide phenomenon. Now, they are not just for young ones but for tweens, teens, young adults, adults, and even boomers alike. Everyone welcomed them with open arms. Our society has begun a new form of expression through this common-sticky item. Why? Anything that a sticker will sit on so it will sit. They are plastered on walls, ceilings, computers, water bottles, phones, skateboards, and snowboards; the list proves endless. Each collage of stickers is personalized to the owner’s uniqueness with various messages to show to the world. Whether you are a Californian surfer vibe or an Artic conservationist, the stickers say different things but share the same meaning: an opinion. Every sticker, carefully chosen and laid by its owner, is a way to tell others around them what matters and what they think on specific topics. It is also a way to introduce people indirectly. An individual can look at someone’s stickers and realize I have a lot in common with that person, or they seem brilliant. I think I will talk to them, resulting in a new relationship.
Furthermore, many companies have utilized stickers as a marketing strategy. They can make a profit selling stickers. Otherwise, many brands include them with a purchase or freely make them accessible to the public. Either way, once a customer takes their sticker and puts it on a personal item or public display, that brand is promoted. The more exposure the company acquires, the more prodigious its customer pool will become. To say the least, stickers have really “stuck themselves” into every aspect of our lives. Our first experience at the checkout line to the international use of an art form stickers symbolizes youth, creativity, and opportunity.