People in the town of Nottinghamshire in the UK are sick and tired of teenagers and say they’re not good for business. They block entrances, take up tables, make noise, and rarely spend any money. Fed up, local businesses in the area decided to get creative by installing pink lighting because the color is believed to have a calming effect. What they found out is that it also highlights acne. It turns out that shopkeepers have been successful in “embarrassing young people out of the area.” Not only is pink seen as not particularly macho among young men, but having their imperfections highlighted was enough to encourage them to hang out elsewhere. Not only are the pink lights inexpensive, they’re relatively easy to install. In fact, other British localities have taken notice and have begun installing pink bulbs in high traffic areas. It turns out that social discomfort is a pretty good deterrent.
