We’re excited to come to work everyday to help spread the word about our client’s wonderful products, and we’re lucky to have so many great ones, but this piece on consumerism caught our eye. Most of us find ourselves happier when we spend our paychecks on enriching experiences like trips to Hawaii rather than expensive Nike shoes, but the researchers at San Francisco State wondered if that was true for everyone. They identified a portion of the population who are “material buyers” and set out to see if they are an exception to the rule. In the study, more-materialistic participants got less happiness from experiences like trips to Hawaii because such purchases didn’t fit with their values, however, they weren’t any happier with their material purchases. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. What’s the material girl to do? San Francisco State isn’t sure, but the study is fascinating. Read more.