January 22, 201016 yr Spoilt for choice: Why too many options in the shops can make you feel depressed By Fiona Macrae and Nick Mcdermott Last updated at 10:36 AM on 22nd January 2010 Comments (26) Add to My Stories If you’ve ever stared at the supermarket shelves wondering which one of the seemingly endless brands of coffee, shampoo or other goods to buy, you’re probably not alone. But it seems that having too much to choose from can do more than just leave us confused. According to psychologists, it can also make us miserable. Take your pick: Too many options are making shoppers depressed They say that every time we make a choice, we worry that it is wrong – and the more choice there is, the greater our regrets. When it happens not just at the shops but in our daily lives and careers, it can lead to ‘uncertainty and depression’. The warning comes as Britons face more choice than ever before. A Daily Mail snapshot survey found that even a simple pint of milk comes in at least ten guises, including whole, skimmed, semi-skimmed, gold top, lacto-free, soya, goat and buffalo. Someone looking for a tomato to go in their sandwich has to decide between varieties described as being suitable for slicing, snacking and adding to lunch packs. The U.S. researchers said: ‘Choice is a dominant theme of internet ads and television commercials for every product and cause. More... Killers in your kitchen: Gender-bending packaging, exploding floor cleaners and toasters more deadly than sharks... ‘Choice appears to make one a cooler or better person. Perhaps most importantly, a choice is a sign of freedom.’ But, sometimes, there can be too much choice. Many of today’s youngsters have much more freedom over career, relationship and other important decisions than past generations. This liberation, however, can also bring with it potentially dangerous distancing from the family and friends that would provide support in times of crisis. Depression, anxiety, suicide and drug abuse may all follow, said Professor Hazel Rose Marcus, of Stanford-University in California, and Professor Barry Schwartz, of Pennsylvania’s Swarthmore College. Writing in the Journal Of Consumer Research, they said: ‘There has been a significant rise in the incidence of clinical depression, anxiety disorder and suicide, all of which are befalling people at younger and younger ages. ‘Second, there is a substantial increase in the rate at which college-students are seeking help at counselling centres. Third, there is a palpable unease in the reports of young college graduates who seem to lack a clear idea of what they are meant to do in their lives. ‘Even in contexts where choice can foster freedom, empowerment and independence, it is not an unalloyed good. ‘Choice can also produce numbing uncertainty, depression and selfishness.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245194/Spoilt-choice-Why-options-shops-make-confused-depressed.html#ixzz0dLgLhKna
January 22, 201016 yr Author DO I GET WHITE BREAD OR BROWN???!?!?!?!??!?! *kills self* It has to be "full corn" atw......................... :rolleyes:
January 22, 201016 yr I hate it if I accidentally pick up the wrong apples if I'm in a rush and don't look that closely and end up with Braeburns instead of Royal Galas:laugh3:
January 22, 201016 yr Author I hate it if I accidentally pick up the wrong apples if I'm in a rush and don't look that closely and end up with Braeburns instead of Royal Galas:laugh3: I agree. Braeburns are far superior!:cool:
January 23, 201016 yr lol this is one of the biggest criticisms socialists have about capitalism - there are simply too many choices! There are other studies I've read about that say people have a much easier time choosing between experiences - where to go for a vacation, for instance. Physical objects deteriorate over time, and better things come out... so they are just regret-pits.
January 23, 201016 yr Author lol this is one of the biggest criticisms socialists have about capitalism - there are simply too many choices! There are other studies I've read about that say people have a much easier time choosing between experiences - where to go for a vacation, for instance. Physical objects deteriorate over time, and better things come out... so they are just regret-pits. That's why material things don't interest me much. What I do is far more important.;)
January 23, 201016 yr That's why material things don't interest me much. What I do is far more important.;) Yeah the kids are the most important thing
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