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I came to scroll not to shop

When did scrolling through our phones start feeling like walking through a shopping mall?

I opened Instagram the other day just to see what everyone was up to. A few minutes in, I’d seen a serum that apparently everyone needs, a pair of shoes that were selling out, and a handbag that was supposedly the bag of the season. I hadn’t gone looking for any of them. And yet, somewhere between the third product recommendation and the fifth “you need this in your life”, I caught myself wondering whether I was missing out on something.

Funny how that happens.

Remember when someone telling you about a good product actually felt exciting? A friend would show up with a new lipstick, you’d ask where she got it, and that would be that. No discount code. No link in bio. No countdown to midnight.

Now, almost everything we see comes with a recommendation attached. Someone’s morning routine becomes a list of products. A weekend getaway becomes a hotel review, an outfit breakdown and five things you absolutely must pack. Even a quiet Sunday at home somehow turns into an opportunity to buy a new candle.

There’s nothing wrong with any of it. Some recommendations are genuinely useful. I’ve discovered things online that I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise. But sometimes, I just want to watch someone make a cup of coffee without being told which coffee machine to buy. Is that too much to ask?

You can be perfectly happy with what you own. Your shoes are fine. Your skincare routine works. Your wardrobe is already full of clothes you don’t wear enough. Then you see someone using something new. Suddenly, you’re thinking about it. You start imagining how it would fit into your life. Maybe it would make your mornings easier. Maybe you’d wear it all the time. Maybe this is the one thing your wardrobe has been missing. Five minutes ago, you didn’t even know it existed.

Of course, discovering new things is part of the fun of shopping. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself or finding something you genuinely love. But there’s a difference between coming across something lovely and being made to feel like what you already have isn’t quite enough. And with so many products appearing on our screens every day, that line can get a little blurry.

The phrase “must-have” has started to lose its meaning. “Must-have” shoes. “Must-have” skincare. “Must-have” travel essentials. “Must-have” bags for every occasion. If we bought every “must-have” we came across, we’d need another room just to store them.

And then there are the trends.

One month, everyone’s obsessed with oversized bags. The next, tiny shoulder bags are everywhere. One colour is suddenly the colour of the season, only to disappear from our feeds a few months later.

I actually enjoy seeing trends come and go. Fashion would be a lot less interesting without them. But I also think there’s something quite nice about owning things that don’t need to be relevant to everyone else. That bag you’ve carried for years because it goes with practically everything. The dress you’ve worn to more dinners than you can count. The shoes you keep reaching for, even though you have newer ones sitting in the cupboard. Not everything we love has to be new, trending or approved by the internet.

We’re writing this as a brand that sells handbags. We know it’s a little ironic. We share new arrivals. We take product photos. We post videos and of course, we’d love for someone to see a bag they like and bring it home. We’re part of the very shopping culture we’re talking about. But building Porta Belle has also made us think more about the other side of selling.

How do you introduce something without making someone feel like they need it? How do you show a product you’re excited about without claiming it’s going to change someone’s life? And how do you stand out when everyone is trying to get someone’s attention? We’re still figuring that out.

Sometimes it’s tempting to follow whatever seems to be working online. A trending sound, a catchy hook, a dramatic opening line. But there’s also something uncomfortable about turning every little thing into a sales pitch. A handbag can just be a handbag. It doesn’t have to transform your personality, fix your wardrobe or make every outfit look expensive. Sometimes you simply like the shape, the colour or the way it sits on your shoulder. And that’s a perfectly good reason to want one.

I don’t think we’re necessarily tired of shopping. We’re tired of feeling like we’re supposed to be shopping all the time. There’s a difference. It’s nice to discover a small brand you haven’t heard of. It’s fun to stumble upon something beautiful. And there’s still a certain excitement in finding that one piece you’ve been looking for.

What gets exhausting is the constant urgency. Buy it before it’s gone. Everyone’s getting one. You won’t regret it.

Maybe we don’t need another reason to buy something today. Maybe we’d rather take our time, think about it, come back a week later and see whether we still want it. And if we don’t? That’s fine too. Perhaps what we’d like to see more of online isn’t fewer products, but more personality. Show us the messy process behind creating something. Tell us why you started your business. Share the samples that didn’t work out, the decisions you changed your mind about, and the little things that make your brand yours. We don’t always need a perfectly edited video or another list of reasons to buy. Sometimes a good story is enough to make us stop scrolling. That’s something we’d like to remember as Porta Belle grows, too.

We want to share things we find beautiful, useful or interesting. But we also want this little corner of the internet to feel like somewhere you can browse without being rushed into anything. Because not every visit has to end with a purchase. And not every conversation has to lead to a sale. Sometimes, it’s nice just to have the conversation.