As discussed, this one goes out to the government. Because if you’re going to take away most of life’s basic pleasures (or pinch a nerve in everyone’s relationship status), we’ve got to take matters into our own hands, literally.
Usage and ownership of sex toys have been on the rise world wide, with the sex toy market expected to ‘grow by 9% between 2019 to 2026.’ We’ve seen this locally too, with the Aussie-owned, self-love company Vush, reporting a whopping 350% increase in sales during the pandemic.
While these glowing stats are unsurprising, a welcomed normalisation of female pleasure has come with it (pun-partially-intended). All over the internet, brands are owning this discussion, bringing pleasure into the mainstream, and mitigating what’s left of an outdated taboo.
Vibe on, people. Vibe on.
2. Toilet paper
Before you roll your eyes and blot your tears, let’s take a moment.
To quote every entrepreneur ever, ‘success doesn’t come overnight, you have to work hard to reach panic-buying status.’ Or something like that.
After a century of putting in the hard yards, toilet paper has finally had her moment. So let’s give toilet paper the credit they deserve. They’ve been shit on for long enough.
3. Face masks
The beauty kind, not the mandatory kind.
Face masks seem to be smoothing over 95% of our problems and providing us with a thin veil of autonomy.
And while lockdown means less sunshine, it doesn’t mean we’re ageing backwards.
The stress of the past year has certainly taken its toll. With sleeping patterns out the window, chocolate becoming an essential-worker, and maskne making a mockery of us, it’s no wonder we’re scrambling for self-care.“We saw a large number of people turn to products that allowed them to create a spa-like experience at home with the same professional-level results,” Sephora’s Beauty Director, David Razzano told Editorialist. And it’s not just women prioritising self-care. It’s men, too. In October 2020, Manscaped, a personal care company for men was valued at $700M.
With zoom calls not slowing down and our need to self-soothe ever-increasing, we’re deciding that skincare counts as productivity, especially in this climate.
4. Cryptocurrency
Because if the world crumbles, at least you can buy into the idea that you could be the next millionaire on a rocket ship.
I am not an expert, but I believe the process goes:
Buy in.
Buy out.
Bitta-this.
Bitta-that.
Badabing.
Badaboom.
You’re a millionaire.
Referred to as a modern day ‘gold rush,’ cryptocurrency has a wealth of celebrity endorsements, eerily similar to influencer culture on Instagram. Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur, reported to Forbes that bitcoin “is more (of a) religion than a solution to any problem”.
Case in point: the need to believe in something greater than ourselves during a pandemic.
And why not make that higher power cryptocurrency?
It seems that for many in 2021, the unknown feels like home.
5. Smart Speakers
They may take away our IRL connections, but we’ll be damned if they take away our technology. The global smart speakers market has been ‘expected to grow from $4.66 billion in 2020 to $6.98 billion in 2021.’ Since 2020, people have been restricted to their homes, with their four walls a staple view. It is no wonder that people are reaching new heights for their home decor.
For what was once a simple form of creative expression has transformed into the primal need for connection.
The spike in smart speakers is an ominous representation of the climate we are in and a reminder that if you squint, Black Mirror is not-so-dystopian.
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In a time like no other, online shopping can be a relief from the everyday bombardment of news and noise, so there’s no judgment here. But there’s no denying that what’s in our deliveries says a lot about our state of mind too.
Remember, you’re always just a click away from an online shopping induced dopamine hit. So keep calm and add-to-cart on.