Bridgewater, Va.– Some students enjoy showing off their styles, interests and personalities through the use of stickers on their daily items, such as laptops and water bottles, while others prefer to observe and keep their items bare.

What’s New?

• The use of stickers for accessorizing everyday items has been trending over the past few years, with a large resurgence after the lockdowns in 2020.
• “I put them on everything,” said sophomore Annabelle Terry. “Stickers are a non-permanent way that you can experience joy.”
• Some people enjoy completely covering their items with random stickers they have collected, while others choose to use fewer or ones with specific meanings.
• “Some of them have a particular reason behind them, but some don’t,” said senior Adam Lorfink. “Some I’ll put in particular places or on particular things.”
• Alternatively, some people like stickers, but prefer to keep them off of their items.
• “I get overly anxious to stick them on things,” said senior Ashley Martin. “If I stick them on the wrong thing, then I’m sad, and I can’t undo it.” 

Why it Matters:

• Using stickers as a form of self-expression can bring joy not just to the user, but to others who see them, as well.
• “I am so nosey with looking at other people’s stickers,” said Terry. “I feel like you can learn a lot about a person based on what they look at every single day, which for college students is your computer.”

What’s Ahead:

• Stickers will continue to be used as a fun method of personalization and to show off what kinds of things the user enjoys.
• “I feel like it’s a form of self-expression,” said Lorfink. “I think it’s a very good insight into people’s interests; what they like and the things that they want to represent.”