Marketing professors at Arizona State University say that it’s possible for people to experience “material possession love”, where they spend more time and money on possessions they’re emotionally attached to than they would on a significant other or loved one.
As PhysOrg tells it, this phenomenon is common amongst those who own guns, bicycles, computers and cars, and said that on average they spend six times as much money on accessories and complementary services for the objects of their affection than a “normal” person would. And according to the professors, those who are lonely are more commonly affected by these feelings. They say the significance material objects possess in modern society cause people to more or less become obsessed about obtaining things, and when they do obtain said objects, they become a part of their identity.
And we’re not supposed to call these people weird. Whatever. You all are weird. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy another hard drive. And maybe some new speakers. A new monitor perhaps? [PhysOrg]