With constantly changing trends, students are adapting their holiday wishlists for the 2025 season based on current popular items.<\/p>\n
In recent years, traditional advertising such as print, radio and TV have been overtaken by digitalization<\/a>. As a result, many people are building their<\/a> holiday wishlists around that year\u2019s online trends, popular items and influencers.<\/p>\n Sreyashi Mukherjee, a teaching assistant professor in communications, noted the influence<\/a> that social media influencers have on the holiday advertising industry.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is far more cost effective and persuasive now to have influencers do the work of traditional PR firms and corporate offices \u2014 to embed product advertising within an environment that thrives on limited attention requirements and instant gratification,\u201d Mukherjee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mukherjee explained that businesses and trend creators incorporate popular aesthetics to create a sense of relatability<\/a> or comfort for the consumer. If the trend is relatable, the buyer may be more likely to purchase because it aligns with their identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe trend of \u2018cottage core<\/a>\u2019 or \u2018clean aesthetics<\/a>\u2019 often produces the context in which buyers experience desire and feel fulfillment on seeing the same products being used for their comfort shows, movies or even by favorite micro-celebrities while doomscrolling,\u201d Mukherjee said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Mackenzie Stuckert, sophomore marketing and data analytics student, thinks consumerism increases<\/a> during the holiday times. In the past 20 years, holiday spending has more than doubled<\/a> in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think that over-consumerism especially is a problem during the holidays because people are pressured to buy gifts for others every year, and a lot of things gifted are not needed at all, and it is sad how it affects our environment<\/a>,\u201d Stuckert said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mackenzie Norris, sophomore nursing student, cited consumerism as the reason she puts more items on her wishlist that she doesn\u2019t need, but wants because of popularity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the culture is so popular and it\u2019s trendy to overconsume<\/a>, I think that\u2019s causing me to do it more, because I want all the latest styles and trends,\u201d Norris said.<\/p>\n Norris said she resonates with a number of different aesthetics but is finding wishlist ideas from<\/a> Pinterest. This year, she\u2019s hoping for a White Fox sweatset<\/a>, zig-zag headbands<\/a> she\u2019s seen on TikTok, flare leggings and Dior lip oil<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stuckert finds wishlist inspiration from the influencer Alix Earle<\/a> and follows a \u201cclean girl aesthetic.\u201d This year, she\u2019s hoping to get appliances for her apartment and clothing basics.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want a vanity mirror, a Nespresso machine, sweatpants, candles and apartment decorations,\u201d Stuckert said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Isabella Aires, sophomore psychology student, similarly finds holiday gift ideas from social media posts and ads and wants clothing, jewelry, shoes and a new school bag.<\/p>\n \u201cI want a matching Alo set<\/a>, new gold chunky earrings, a Kendra Scott<\/a> necklace, any kind of hoodies, chunky New Balances and a purse or school tote,\u201d Aires said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eileen Healy, sophomore psychology student, said her wishlist goes off of what she needs rather than what\u2019s trending. Healy is hoping for a variety of items from clothing pieces to household essentials.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI need a closet refresh \u2014 especially jeans and things that fit well and are in good shape,\u201d Healy said. \u201cI also live in an apartment, and so I have a few decor items and household things that I asked for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Rather than getting inspiration from one influencer, Healy said her wishlist reflects her personal wants rather than the most current items.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I have an exact aesthetic for what I picked. I feel like it\u2019s a mixture of the people I follow,\u201d Healy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n First-year urban planning major Carter Jensen finds inspiration for his holiday wishlist through his hobbies, his hometown in Washington, D.C., and overall style goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI collect vinyls as a hobby,\u201d Jensen said. \u201c[I want] a football because I don\u2019t have one and I want to throw with my friends. Flannels are for [my] style \u2014 I\u2019ve always been a little more subdued with my style, and I think flannels reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n Zack Chishti, sophomore data science student, said his wishlist reflects what he enjoys most.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want tickets to a playoff Steelers game, white socks, golf balls and a Jared Jones Pirates jersey,\u201d Chishti said. \u201cI have always really liked sports and that\u2019s what I spend most of my free time on, so I wanted stuff that I would use a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n