e217. Online Shopping, Thrifting, and The Death of Mall Culture

When’s the last time you hung out at the mall? We don’t mean when is the last time you went to a mall, ran in, got something and left. When is the last time you really hung out there? Once upon a time, this used to be a thing. Families took all day shopping trips to the mall. Teenagers just hung around and socialized. The mall was a destination. In 1995, Kevin Smith even made a movie about it. But now Mall Culture is dying. Malls are closing. Online shopping is growing. Teens are finding other forms of socialization and entertainment. What happened? Where did the malls go and have we lost anything in letting them die? On this week’s episode, Monica, Katya, and Mav are joined by returning guest Stephanie Siler to talk all about malls and mall culture. What was hanging out at the mall like in the past? What’s it like now? What is killing malls? Is that even a bad thing? Or are we actually better off now that shopping doesn’t force us into malls? On this episode we discuss our experiences with malls and what the modern alternatives have wrought. Join us as we sift through the changes that have occurred in youth culture and shopping culture over the last few decades which have forced these changes. We talk everything from fashion to mall Santas. Listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Citations and Links: * This episode’s Call for Comments* White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch* “Guppyfriend vs. Cora Ball for Reducing Microfiber Pollution” by Earth Friendly Tips * Thank you to Maximilian’s thoughtForm Music for our theme* Follow Mav on Twitter: @chrismaverick* Follow Katya on Instagram: @justthatnerdkid* Follow Monica on Instagram: @monicamarvelous* Follow us on Twitter: @voxpopcast* Follow us on Instagram: @voxpopcast* Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/voxpopcast* Subscribe to our YouTube channel* Make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever podcasts are found and please leave us a review!