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Students explain what their laptop stickers mean to them

January 31, 2020
Sophomores Julia Turnbull and Lily Franklin talk about a class study tool displayed on Julia's laptop on January 27, 2020.
Sophomores Julia Turnbull and Lily Franklin talk about a class study tool displayed on Julia's laptop on January 27, 2020. —
Photo by Lauren DeMay | The State News

From quotes to memes to showing their Spartan pride, students purchase laptop stickers to express their interests, make a statement or just for aesthetic reasons.

History freshman Eleanor Smith, who has a panda sticker, a ‘Just Peachy’ sticker and a M-185 sticker for Mackinac Island, uses laptop stickers purely for decoration.

“Some of them are really cute,” Smith said. “I think it’s kind of cool how people decorate their laptops and it’s something I wanted to do. Some of them — like the Mackinac Island one — I go there a lot so I like that one.”

Students believe laptop stickers can be used to show a part of their personality in a unique, creative way.

“As I’m looking at these, I’m kind of a humorous person,” human biology freshman Ashley Hutchinson said. “But I also have things that I’m interested in, things that I feel personally. I have one that says ‘Radiate positivity’ and I try to be a positive person, and I want that to be seen.”

Food industry management freshman Shay Hubbard said she believes laptop stickers can be an easy way to connect with other students.

“I put them on there just because I thought they were cute,” Hubbard said. “I think it’s a cool form of self-expression. Like how I have the TV stickers on there, I might be in a class and someone’s like ‘Hey, I love that show!’ It’s just a good way to start a conversation.”

For Hutchinson, laptop stickers not only highlight certain aspects of their behavior, but they give students a way to learn things about their classmates.

“Some of them, they have global issues or something on it,” Hutchinson said. “Like you’re obviously interested in global issues. Or feminist stickers, it just shows your point of view in the world and what you are interested in, things that you enjoy, things you are trying to change. It gives you a little insight on people’s personalities.”

Smith got all her stickers for free, many students don’t want to spend the money on laptop stickers. Also, according to business-preference freshman Melanie Jones in a Facebook post, students don’t want laptop stickers because they “want their laptop to look (sleek) and new as long as it lasts.”

“I think that’s made up,” Hutchinson said. “It’s not like not clean and everything after you put a bunch of stickers on it, but if that’s how you want to go with it ... stickers don’t really ruin it for some people. It’s just ways to express your personality.”

Many students believe that laptop stickers are just a decorative way to showcase their personality to other students on your laptop.

“I think it can be a little bit of both,” Smith said. “I think some people put stuff that’s important to them on there and that represents who they are or maybe some political standings that they follow. But other times, I think mine are more for decoration. I don’t think mine is really making any sort of statement.”

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