“You are not actually going, are you?”
“I signed up for the newsletter, didn’t I?”
“That was , Noor.”
“I like the way they talk about the plants.”
“But they are having a meetup in Montrose .”
“I know. I saw the invite.”
“And?”
“And I am staying right here on my couch.”
“Then why do you keep paying the membership fee?”
“Because I like knowing they are there if I need them.”
“But you never need them.”
“That is the best part about it.”
Noor represents a new kind of social ghost. She is a member of four different boutique communities. She follows their private Instagram accounts. she reads every long-form email they send. She owns the branded tote bags. She knows the names of the founders. Yet, she has never spoken to another member.
She has never attended a single gathering. She has never left a comment on a forum. She is not shy. She is not socially anxious. She is simply consuming the feeling of belonging. She has discovered that the sensation of being part of something is separable.
The Great Modern Trade
You can have the warmth without the friction of other people. This is the great modern trade. We are drawn to brands