Sparking joy

Christine Hilario, A&E Writer

The prevalence of social media influences trends in everything from fashion to diets, but one of the newest stems from an unexpected place: cleaning.

The Marie Kondo organizational method gained popularity due to the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. The purpose of this method is to keep items that spark joy and get rid of unneeded belongings that cause stress.

At Xavier High School, students and teachers alike are using the Marie Kondo method to organize and declutter within their homes.

Senior Libby Kramer became interested in this method due to the Netflix show and started using it to tidy up.

“Now that all of my things are organized, I want to keep them that way,” Kramer said. “It’s also helpful that now everything has a specific spot where it goes. Before, everything had a general area or room I put it in, but now everything has a specific spot that I put it in when I’m not using it. It makes keeping my room clean easy and less stressful.”

Although its rise to prevalence was quick, librarian Mrs. Tracie Marshall believes this method is here to stay.

“This method is and will continue to be popular because lots of people like their items organized,” Marshall said. “It’s stressful to have clutter throughout one’s home. Also, since it’s the beginning of the year, people are looking to make a change for 2019.”

Along with her Netflix show, Marie Kondo has written four books about organizing, including two New York Times best sellers: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.