Su-Jin Kim
Sophomore
Business

There is a well-known survey that shows most Korean students think that they should own at least one or two brand-name products. Should college students have these luxury consumer sentiments? Why do we feel the need to own these luxury brands? One reason could be that carrying luxury can give us some confidence. They can also distinguish us from others. When we buy luxury items, it can also give us a sense of superiority. Second, owning luxury brand products can provide self-satisfaction. These all seem to be reasonable motivations, but when you really think about it, there are many problems with this kind of reasoning. For starters, there are many ways that you can gain confidence without breaking the bank on luxury goods. Genuine confidence comes from within not from an accessory. It is also difficult to distinguish yourself by just owning a luxury bag nowadays because it has become the norm for students to own luxury items. You can see many luxury brand items around campus at any time. Owning a luxury item as a way of showing of your status can also be counterproductive. When other people see you with your fancy bag, they might not assume you have a good job or a lot of money. We all know how many students work part-time jobs just to buy a luxury bag. There is also great awareness of the presence of fake luxury items. There are many reasons to buy luxury products, but most people buy them for the personal satisfaction they gain from the experience of buying and owning them. We have the freedom to choose happiness from buying luxury items or the happiness we gain from investing in other things that make us feel like we have achieved something special. However, it is needed to feel good about ourselves from the inside out and not the outside in.