Penn State is known for its plethora of students that flow through the campus each day and with that extends the invitation to a variety of personalities, characteristics and individuals to represent the student population. Amid nearly 42,000 students, it seems unfeasible to initially recognize similarities between them.
Common Ground
However, VALLEY has observed a consistent pattern of routine among the female population, which according to U.S. News World Report makes up about 47% of the 42,000 undergraduate students. No matter the occasion, girls are found not leaving their rooms without the companion of their reusable water bottle, lying comfortably under their forearms.
From Stanleys to Hydro Flask, Yetis and beyond, college girls cling to their water bottles in such a way that if they are let loose they might gain the ability to run away. An undeniable clutch is seen in the way each bottle is carried, personifying the water bottles and relating each clutch to the likeness of carrying a baby.
The Science Behind The Behavior
To understand the phenomenon of the increasing desire to obtain such a specific object to carry, VALLEY dived into the knowledge of the American Psychological Association. As stated in the APA Dictionary of Psychology, there is a professional term to describe the comfort water bottle: a transitional object.
“A doll, blanket, or other thing spontaneously chosen and used by a child to ease the anxiety of separation from their first external object, the mother, until the child has established an internal object, or mental representation of her, that provides a sense of security and comfort.”
American Psychological Association – APA Dictionary of Psychology
Conceivably, the solace college girls once received from their primary caregivers, has now transitioned to a tangible object as a means of abiding support. These items have become more than just water bottles, they can now be identified as assurance, the guarantee that the water bottle will complete the ultimate task of providing water, which is needed to survive. In the absence of the ability to lean on family for consistent support, an emotional attachment is built with the water bottle to ease the extreme sense of independence granted to college students.
Support Bottle Frenzy
When speaking with Payton Turner, a first-year Penn State student, she shared where the emotional bond with her water bottle stems from. “My brother gave it to me in middle school and I always felt like it was a part of our relationship that I got to carry with me, even if we weren’t living together and were not seeing each other very often.”
Lo and behold, behind the emotional support bottles, are stories creating the catalyst for a connection between person and object. Whatever the story behind your emotional support water bottle may be, VALLEY can attest that several of its members have their own as well.
There’s more to the matter than someone holding a water bottle to prevent dehydration. Despite the chance of that being one reason, college girls withhold underlying motivations which bring about the ardent ties to their water bottles. So, with the grand number of students Penn State has, perhaps the question of “What is the story behind your water bottle?” can become a fresh start to everlasting friendships.
What’s the story behind your emotional support water bottle? Share it with VALLEY on X @VALLEYmag!
