The word ''souvenir'' comes from the French word for memory. The problem with this kind of memory is that it takes up room in your backpack and then collects dust back home.
All travelers feel compelled to buy souvenirs.
Since trips are rare occurrences for most of us, we want to commemorate these events with mementos. For some, souvenirs are status symbols. That's not to say that I am immune to buying trinkets, but I don't think that shopping is recreation. Not unless you are in a bazaar drinking mint tea and haggling over the price of a carpet. Instead of buying plastic junk that was probably not even made in the country you are visiting, try to gather souvenirs that don't cost anything.