It’s safe to say that the majority of the student body at my university owns a laptop decorated with stickers and decals that hold much personal meaning. I’m sure the same goes for almost every university across the country. Laptop stickers provide an open window to the person behind the computer screen—the person who is probably scrolling through the sticker pages of Redbubble as you read this article.
My laptop stickers are a representation of many of my passions and interests, meaning they make up who I am. Seeing others’ stickers gives us the chance to get to know a person by reading into the meaning behind each decal. The following sticker categories reveal clues about the person behind the laptop.
Travel
You have a serious case of wanderlust. Seriously, because I bet you have a sticker reading “wanderlust” on your laptop. Stickers from various destinations around the world allow you to mark your territory.
They’re like passport stamps but for laptops, and adding a new one after is a satisfying way to say, “I was here” and to share that declaration with everyone around you. And of course, travel stickers give you the right to brag about all the incredible places you’ve visited.
Hometown
Stickers representing your hometown show that you’re nostalgic and proud of where you came from. As much as you complained about your mundane town before entering college, you will always have a soft spot for the place that shaped you into who you are today.
Sports teams
Sporting a sticker in honor of your favorite sports team probably correlates with a team close to home. Whether it is baseball, basketball, hockey, football, soccer or any other sport that you fancy, you most likely root for your home team. Therefore, you are loyal to the place you come from and have a strong investment in the teams that represent home.
School spirit
Because sporting a school logo on your laptop is the only semblance of school spirit many college students (myself include) have. Need I say more?
Entertainment references
We’ve all seen them—TV show logos, a favorite quote, lyrics from a Broadway song or a representation of a cult classic in sticker form on a laptop. If you don’t have a sticker dedicated to pop culture, are you even human? All joking aside, decals dedicated to an entertainment show the depth of your knowledge of a particular form of pop culture.
Greek organization
You’re super proud of your letters. Show them off to the world! You also know that allowing your laptop to don a sticker (or two, or three, or four) dedicated to your sorority/fraternity is an instant conversation starter with people in other chapters. As a Greek woman, what a great way to spread that Panhel love!
Guilty pleasures
You have an obsession with an obscure person/place/thing that you may not discuss in a casual conversation, but you pay homage to it by pasting a sticker of it to the shell of your laptop. That is the sticker that has people asking, “What’s that?”
It’s the perfect opportunity for you to discuss your obsession by letting someone else bring it up. For example, I have a friend who adores President James K. Polk, so naturally she has a Polk sticker on her laptop. Personally, I love astrology and have a Capricorn symbol stuck on my laptop. It looks like a cursive “N” with a loop on the bottom, and no one knows what it is. It’s these guilty pleasure stickers that make us unique.
Political parties
If you have a donkey or elephant sticker proudly displayed on your laptop (preferably in a preppy pattern), you may be prematurely judged by your political views. But you know what, who cares? You’re entitled to your own opinion and have no reason to be ashamed of leaning to the left or right.
And that is exactly why you have a sticker dedicated to your desired party displayed on your computer. You are confident in who you are and what you believe in and have no reservations about sharing it with the world.
Whether your laptop stickers are laid out symmetrically or you have so many stickers layered on top of each other that you can’t even see the Apple logo hidden behind them, the decals reveal small but significant details about the person you are and the things that you love. Dress up your laptop and make sure it wears your stickers proudly.
