The Stanley Cup Obsession is a Dystopian Nightmare

#stanleycup #overconsumption #consumerism

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are obsessing over Stanley cups - going as far as to camp outside of Target to be the first to get their hands on their latest collection. The Stanley Quencher Tumbler cup has turned into a cult of sorts and it’s the latest chapter in a long saga of TikTok overconsumption and consumerism. In this video, I discuss the obsession with viral products and TikTok’s nonstop consumerism.
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Sources:
The Stanley Cup Water Bottle Explained

The Psychology Behind Why People are Obsessed with the new Stanley Cup

People line up at Valley Target stores for Starbucks Stanley Cup

American Pyschology Association on Consumerism

Edward Bernays, The Art of Manipulation
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@ashleyaviola on Instagram + Twitter/X

[mirandac]

I hope they realize how stupid it is to buy endless amounts of refillable cups. The entire point is to NOT have to buy a bunch of plastic water bottles and here they are buying a bunch of Stanley’s instead. 🤦‍♀️

[AwesomenessTV]

I was completely ignoring this obsession until someone pointed out that buying 15 cups completely goes against the purpose of a reusable cup and now I'm like wtf is actually happening

[almondwaet]

these children freaking out because they got stanleys for christmas makes me think about how i would be devastated if i got a cup as a gift when i was their age. idk id be expecting the new monster high playset not a monochromatic metal cup

[bradenkun]

Deleting TikTok and twitter was honestly so good for my mental health and general wellbeing. This shit is ridiculous

[danna]

whats worse is that kids are being bullied in schools for not having one of these metal cups
edit: woah this is my first comment ever, thank you for replying

[Toribell]

My dad is a trucker and has used a Stanley cup for the last 20 years (the old school ones) as a thermos for his coffee. This is just hilarious to me, tween girls getting long haul trucker’s favorite cup for Christmas😭😂

[lyn.]

After this trend ends, these cups are either going to be shoved into the back of cabinets or filling up the shelves of thrift stores.

[hannahblomgren]

I’m an elementary school teacher, I have a group of fifth graders who are known by other kids as “The Stanleys.” They bully others who don’t have the same skincare and cups as them, and it’s truly concerning.

[potatoesdeterre]

I’m convinced that people don’t even drink half of that cup in a day. A lot of people tend to argue that it’s a “good” trend because it makes people drink water, but having water in a trendy tumbler won’t change the drive for most people. It’s just a status symbol.

[gracewaterlilly]

When I saw people on social media pour BOTTLED water in single use bottles in the stanley I was like this is it, humanity has lost its mind

[JannaShipper]

I'm sure Stanley cups are actually a useful product but why would anyone need more than two?? I can understand having a cup to have at work and one to have at home but that's about it

[Carmine.Falcone]

A lot of these chicks are going to feel stupid af in about 8-12 months when this trend is over and they have an entire shelf full of them things. The craziest part for me is they're not even new. It's like a decades-old product. My family bought a few ages ago on our first camping trip and they were mainly sold in outdoor/sports marts.

[valeria]

The older I get the more I realize marketing can make people buy and do almost anything. We need more of this kind of content on here! Great video!

[OfTheSeaKND]

As a former Target employee who survived the release of the Twilight Barbie dolls… I’m SO RELIEVED I didn’t experience the same crazy over a CUP. 😃

[ignskeletons]

Imagine tying your identity and self-worth to a Stanley cup

[heyskyebright]

We would have never gotten excited about getting a freaking WATER BOTTLE for Christmas when I was a kid LOL

[mistydayremainsofthejudgment]

i won't lie, i love the design of the cup and got one with a pretty tie-dye pattern. but it's absolutely not okay that kids are being bullied for not having them, and mistreating workers in stores or attacking people over the thing

[parfait_]

realized that i often feel disappointed when packages get delivered quickly bc it doesn't give me enough time to fantasize about how my purchases will improve my life--and the actual impact of the stuff almost never lives up to my daydreams. i started savings things to a pinterest board titled "consumerism" which satisfies my immediate monkey brain desire to possess & lets me keep gazing upon the product without having an "add to cart" button right there. then after a while i go back and try to consider the product rationally rather than as an object of fantasy. 90% of the time i find that i'm totally uninterested in actually buying it.

[MindyGail]

The fact that something meant to cut down on waste like a reusable cup is being overproduced and over purchased says a lot about how wasteful our society is. The lack of care for anyone or anything is really sad. You do not need 10 or 20 cups. 2 max.... one for while the other is in the dishwasher, maybe.... even that's a reach. One is enough, really.

[thedisneyprincess]

I was just at TJ Maxx a few days ago near where the “dupes” for these cups are and I saw multiple young girls begging their moms for one. It made me sad to think that social media is impacting them so much. They don’t even know why they want one.