Some students and parents are spending a lot of money decorating a room, the Washington Post (WP) reported.
In a recent report, the WP highlighted that it is a trend to create a university dormitory room in a U.S. university district as a space reminiscent of a luxury resort and then post it on social media such as TikTok.
The Washington Post analyzed that parents’ love is behind this phenomenon. They say they are trying to make their dorm rooms cozy and cozy like a family home so that their children who have gone to college far away from home do not get homesick.
Parents are said to be running an online community where they share their know-how on the structure of their dormitories and information on interior companies. Based on the know-how they have learned from the community, they plan how to decorate their rooms from about a year ago, and customize high-end wallpaper, customized bed boards, custom curtains, high-end linen bedding sets, frames containing artworks, and even a pillowcase, according to the Washington Post.
The WP asked the question, reporting the cost of parents of American college students decorating their children’s dorm rooms. It is said that it is not difficult to find a case where parents spend a large amount of $5,000 to up to $10,000 to decorate a dormitory room.
Also, some students want to stay ahead of the trend. Melanie Turner, a designer specializing in events, said she asked her soon-to-be-entered niece what she wants for her high school graduation present. “Please decorate my dorm room like it is on TikTok.” The Washington Post said, “Not all American college students live in expertly designed dorm rooms, but it seems as if they do on social media.” The phenomenon did not happen all of a sudden. According to the New York Times, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served during World War II, lived in his dorm room with rugs, curtains, and bedding his mother had ordered while he was a student at Harvard University. George H.W. Bush’s father welcomed guests with his future wife, Barbara, by decorating his dorm room as a bedroom of a luxury residence while he was a student at Yale University. WP said, “The difference is that showing off this appearance on SNS such as TikTok has become a new trend.”
According to the Washington Post, friendship also changes depending on the atmosphere of dormitories. “Other extroverts who want to participate actively in campus life decorate their dorm rooms splendidly, while those who don’t decorate their rooms minimalistically,” said Hazel Tugbyale, a senior at Georgia State University and an assistant at dormitories. “Each group never interacts even though they are on the same floor as dormitories.”
Amid this atmosphere, U.S. non-profit organizations are providing free dorm room decorating services. It is for students who want to do so but cannot afford it. For example, the Vogue Room Foundation recruits applicants every semester and invests 2,000 dollars per person to decorate rooms for free. “Originally, it was for girls only, but now more and more boys want to receive support,” a Vogue Room official said, adding that the government is also considering providing assistance for boys.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
