Affluenza: The Pursuit of More

From Coach to Swarovski, the shops at Tyson’s Corner Center in McLean, Va., simply sparkle. The scents of leather, suede, silk, perfume and body lotions mingle with the aromas of Starbucks and Cinnabon. For some, it’s an intoxicating experience.

Rippling through the shoppers are symptoms of a common condition. They feel discontent, depressed, inferior and even irrelevant until they emerge from a store with something new. The urge to buy is almost uncontrollable. The rustling of tissue paper at the checkout counter acts as an aphrodisiac. The cha-ching of the cash register seems to announce, like a game show bell, “Congratulations! You’re a winner!”

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