--- title: The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping description: Our identities are wrapped up in objects and they can help us transition in our roles, writes Carey Morewedge. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/ author: Carey Morewedge article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-09-02T10:00:02.956Z article:modified_time: 2026-09-02T10:00:06.293Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping og:description: Our identities are wrapped up in objects and they can help us transition in our roles, writes Carey Morewedge. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07ba6df5c343d6d7/6a971d30a44fab4c7fab558d/back-to-school-shopping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2121 og:image:height: 1193 og:image:alt: back-to-school-shopping.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping twitter:description: Our identities are wrapped up in objects and they can help us transition in our roles, writes Carey Morewedge. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07ba6df5c343d6d7/6a971d30a44fab4c7fab558d/back-to-school-shopping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  IDEAS Time ideas # The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3f7f4f0b-3e34-4635-8bc9-771ff8c58076&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3f7f4f0b-3e34-4635-8bc9-771ff8c58076&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=3f7f4f0b-3e34-4635-8bc9-771ff8c58076&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Carey Morewedge](https://time.com/author/carey-morewedge/) ## Carey Morewedge Carey Morewedge is a psychologist, professor, and the author of Possessions. Sep 2, 2026 10:00 AM UTC  Nikita Burdenkov—Getty Images by [Carey Morewedge](https://time.com/author/carey-morewedge/) ## Carey Morewedge Carey Morewedge is a psychologist, professor, and the author of Possessions. Sep 2, 2026 10:00 AM UTC One of my first school memories comes from the first day of first grade, when my German mother dropped me off with a blue paper cone stuffed with fresh school supplies and a brand-new, boxy green backpack. Peering into the cone, inside at a Staedtler eraser and a pack of gummy bears, I felt like an alien about to make first contact with my classmates at Blessed Sacrament in Johnson City, N.Y. Even without a Trapper Keeper, I blended in. Americans were agog over back-to-school shopping then, as they are now. This year, the average family is projected to spend [$489 per child](https://www.jll.com/en-us/insights/back-to-school-2026-shopping-report) on stationery, devices, clothing, shoes, and the latest technology for packing organic strawberries. It's easy to dismiss our collective consumer ritual as another marketing season. Yes, it was invented by department stores selling [school uniforms](https://blog.newspapers.com/back-to-school-shopping-over-the-years/) in the 1800s, and then turbocharged with seasonal catalogs and sales by retailers like [Montgomery Ward](https://time.com/archive/6662063/business-montgomery-ward-stores/) and [Sears](https://time.com/archive/6832128/corporations-the-four-ms-of-sears/) in the century that followed. And it is a sort of pre-Halloween ritual in which we all foist new costumes on our children. But all those new backpacks, sneakers, pencil cases, and lunch boxes do something else. They help turn our children back into students. For two glorious summer months, we released our children from the routines and identities of school. They've spent a culturally sanctioned rumspringa at [pools](https://time.com/article/2026/07/20/pool-hygiene-mistakes-that-can-make-you-sick/), [beaches](https://time.com/7305580/i-used-to-hate-the-beach/), and [camps](https://time.com/article/2026/06/16/the-pain-and-promise-of-summer-camp/), in the [woods](https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4820394/hiking-walking-mind-body-workout/), or on a [Nintendo](https://time.com/collections/time100-companies-2025/7289574/nintendo/). Then, almost overnight, we thrust them back into desks, routines, homework, and a social world that is often new and uncertain. A handful of new pencils can help. We usually think possessions express who we are. Possessions send identity signals. Some are obvious. Owning a home makes you a [homeowner](https://time.com/7266072/homeownership-impacted-american-democracy/). Owning a dog makes you a [pet owner](https://time.com/collections/guide-to-happiness/4870796/dog-owners-benefits/). A Prius says you care about climate change as much as a Ford Raptor pickup says you're ready to let the world burn. Others are more aspirational. A set of cleats doesn't make you a [soccer player](https://time.com/article/2026/07/19/2026-world-cup-proved-america-can-still-do-big-things/), and a graphing calculator doesn't teach you [calculus](https://time.com/article/2026/05/05/america-math-crisis/). But these objects signal the roles we are stepping into—to the people around us and to ourselves. Possessions can help us become someone new. That's why transitions are so often linked to new possessions. We wear funny hats and robes when we [graduate from college](https://time.com/3849142/life-after-college-graduation/). Wedding rings, dresses, and tuxedos mark our transition from singlehood to married life. We furnish nurseries before our babies arrive. A suit, scrubs, or a desk can make a new professional identity feel real. Possessions can be the bridges we need to new identities before we feel entirely comfortable inhabiting them. Having a first child is a psychedelic experience. You're handed a fragile infant and sent off to do your best. A first-year medical student is a long way from being a physician. Possessions associated with these roles help cement identities as we grow into them. Our children often face no less dramatic transitions. My son, who was just a giant in the familiar melee of daycare, will become a kindergartner this week in an enormous building filled with children much bigger than him. Your sixth grader is becoming a middle schooler. Or your ninth grader is starting high school. They may not yet know what role we and their peers expect them to play. Practically, their old backpack works. And, yes, buying what you already own is [expensive and wasteful](https://time.com/6235522/why-shopping-is-addictive/). A replacement will not kindle new friendships and a sudden capacity for algebra. Teaching our children about waste and having enough are important lessons. But the mistake is assuming that we buy possessions purely for function. An old backpack can still carry books. Shoes that fit in June may miraculously survive until September. They may also carry an old identity. To a child, they may feel like a younger self. A transition doesn't require us to replace everything. One or two new possessions may be enough to construct the new identity. A new ring is enough for many married couples. A new backpack, sneakers, pencil case, lunchbox, or graphing calculator is a prop for this new identity. It tells classmates and teachers, “I belong.” More importantly, it can help our children say this to themselves. [TIME Ideas](https://www.time.com/ideas) hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/"},"headline":"The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping","datePublished":"2026-09-02T10:00:02.956Z","dateModified":"2026-09-02T10:00:06.293Z","description":"Our identities are wrapped up in objects and they can help us transition in our roles, writes Carey Morewedge.","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/","keywords":["Culture"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07ba6df5c343d6d7/6a971d30a44fab4c7fab558d/back-to-school-shopping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Carey Morewedge","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/carey-morewedge/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07ba6df5c343d6d7/6a971d30a44fab4c7fab558d/back-to-school-shopping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"back-to-school-shopping.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Nikita Burdenkov—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/culture/","name":"Culture"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/the-hidden-value-of-back-to-school-shopping/","name":"The Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping"}}]}] ```