Coats: they come out once the temperature drops and frost hits the grass. They range from 100 to 300 dollars says newsy.com. So, why would we pay so much for them just to go to school in the freezing weather without one? The answer exists in two different problems.

Problem one, no one else is wearing it so why should I? Societal norms are the first problem. When you enter the school on a cold winter morning, how many people do you actually see in a coat? Maybe one or two, and everyone else notices that too. On PsychCentral.com they said that, “Researchers discovered that it takes a minority of just five percent to influence a crowd’s direction — and that the other 95 percent follow without realizing it.” So, with so many kids not wearing coats everyone else will tend to naturally follow exhibiting a herd mentality.

The second problem with coats is where to put them. After Covid happened, I have heard many students and teachers commenting on how little students visit their lockers. Why is this? Well, as a student myself, I’ve noticed that there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in between periods to take a break at your locker and drop off a coat, especially if you are running late or have a class next period that is far away from your previous class. People don’t want to risk being late just to drop off a coat, so the most reasonable solution is just to not bring one and eliminate the need to go to your locker.

So, at the end of the day, I don’t think students will ever normalize bringing coats to school unless we all ban together and wear them.

Recourses:         https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/02/15/herd-mentality-explained

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsy.com/amp/stories/how-much-money-should-you-actually-be-investing-in-a-winter-coat/