Some people buy a case to protect their laptop. Some people just slap ‘em right on, because they’re sure that they’ll never want to take them off.

No matter what stickers you choose to put on your laptop, these small decorations have the power to reveal information about what defines you and what makes you unique compared to those around you. If you were to walk by me studying, you’d see on my laptop: a rock on symbol, a vinyl record with the solar system inside of it, the shape of the earth as created by blue and green flowers, and an iconic “Happy Valley” sticker.

Just from seeing this, bystanders now know that I love music, go to Penn State University, and care about the planet. Although those who may see me while I type out an essay or study for an exam may not know me personally, the information they’ve gathered from the back of my laptop provides them with a small snapshot of my personality and interests.

The stickers we choose to slap on our belongings act as our own creative outlet in which we are able to create a design which has the potential to segway into the fabric of our personalities.

In my experience, the phenomenon all started at a Brandy Melville clothing store. Next, to the cashier clerk’s desk, stacks of hip and edgy stickers were laid out for customers to grab on their way out. The Brandy stickers became their own trend, but as girls everywhere began sticking them on their laptops (among other places), it became more and more evident that a lot of girls had about the same 10-15 stickers.

Other companies began to produce their own stickers (i.e. Vineyard Vines, Patagonia, Vans, etc.), but in recent years, consumers have begun to pair their brand-loyal stickers with others which venture away from just their purchases.

While the stickers given initially served purely as advertisements for companies and were simply seen as a “freebie” when purchasing something within retail, enter the authentic Redbubble company. Born in Australia, Redbubble has undeniably taken off within the last year and their stickers coat laptops of students around the world.

Redbubble connects more than 400,000 artists and designers to passionate fans that buy their work in the form of posters, t-shirts, and most commonly, stickers. The website offers thousands of sticker designs ranging from relatable quotes, popular song lyrics, restaurant logos, album covers, and the list goes on and on.

As the young people in our society, we’re all just trying to figure out who we are and where we fit within the complex scheme of human existence. The best thing about Redbubble stickers: their material is made in a way in which you can always remove them.

Although oftentimes tricky, the route to which we define ourselves is a beautiful process where we are able to dive deep into the things we love as well as dabble in fresh opportunities to further create ourselves. Life is an ambitious and ever-changing journey, and stickers provide an artistic platform in which we have the ability to define it.