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Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Ikea Effect

Have you ever heard of the "Ikea Effect"?  Well, let me try and explain it to you.
This past Friday I was shopping in a local antique place that has four floors stuffed with "treasures".  It was so much fun to look at all the things that were for sale.  Only problem is, after going through the first two floors, my eyes started to dart from item to item, and I wasn't able to focus on anything.  Everything became a blur and I knew it was time to leave.  The "Ikea Effect" had begun.
This syndrome was first noted in our family at the local Ikea store, and thus the name "Ikea Effect".  When Ikea first opened near here a few years ago, we ventured forth to check it out as we had heard a lot about the store, but had never been in one.
It was amazing!  And cheap!  It was so much fun, for the first floor.  And then, we all became overwhelmed with the sheer number of items and started to wander in a zombie-like state.  In fact, we had to consult our map (which should have been a warning to us) in order to find our way out.  We couldn't even remember ten things we had seen between us at the store!
There are other places that can bring on the "Ikea Effect".  Large craft stores, large quilt stores in New Hampshire, Disneyworld, and flea markets can all bring on the symptoms.  
Perhaps it is because I have late onset attention deficit disorder.  But I wanted to warn others in order to save them from embarrassment.  
If you have felt the symptoms of "The Ikea Effect" please comment below and we can join forces to find a way to cure this unusual problem.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, I get this, too! And I don't have any sort of attention deficit thing going on! It's just too much, especially for someone as visual-oriented as I am. There is a store, can't remember which one, that sells appliances and things, and I truly cannot even go in there because my brain is immediately overloaded by bright signs and far too many things completing for my visual attention!

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  2. To See Jamie Blog: That's it! I think that is what happens to me! I want to enjoy looking at all the things, but it just becomes too much! Thanks for the diagnosis!

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