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The rationality of literal Tide Pod consumption

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  • Ryan H. Murphy

    (Southern Methodist University)

Abstract

At the conclusion of 2017, to the dismay of journalists, pundits, and academics, large numbers of adolescents began consuming Tide Pods, a form of laundry detergent that is candy-like in appearance. This paper argues that purposeful consumption of laundry detergent may in fact be individually rational for adolescents. The consumption of Tide Pods may allow adolescents to successfully signal status in accordance with the Handicap Principle, which explains the beauty of a peacock’s tail and the practice of stotting by gazelles in the wild. The Handicap Principle is also a common explanation of adolescents’ willingness to engage in dangerous activities, like drug use. A subtext of the thesis of this paper is the veracity of rational choice explanations in unconventional contexts distant from its original applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryan H. Murphy, 2019. "The rationality of literal Tide Pod consumption," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 111-122, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbioec:v:21:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10818-019-09285-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10818-019-09285-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Roger D. Magarey & Christina M. Trexler, 2020. "Information: a missing component in understanding and mitigating social epidemics," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tide Pods; Veblen good; Conspicuous consumption; Handicap principle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;

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