r/BehavioralEconomics • u/ComplexNo8380 • 11d ago
Survey What makes people buy things when they’re feeling sad, stressed, or insecure, and how does social media influence those decisions?
I’m basically a victim of marketing 😂 💔I often end up spending way too much money when I’m sad, stressed, or just not feeling great. I’m curious if other people experience the same thing what triggers you to buy, and I think that social media make it worse😭
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u/Revolutionary_Gap150 11d ago
Simply put... When you buy something new you feel like someone new (if only for a short time).
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u/Both-Beautiful960 10d ago
Marketing is designed to create and feed on your insecurities. So, when you feel insecure or stressed, there's an entire multi-trillion dollar marketplace designed to sooth those feelings. Tim Wu's "The Attention Merchants" breaks it down really well.
Social media, given it's designed to keep you insecure and needing a dopamine hit (and ideally buy something through the ads served), clearly makes it worse.
Remove advertising, social media, and services like Amazon from your life as much as possible. Slow living so you can reset your dopamine to normal human levels is a good idea for your health and your budget, as much as you possibly can.
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u/AndreaBuildsAuraGo 10d ago
It's a chain, and each step makes the next easier. Sadness makes you want a quick fix, and buying gives a sense of control back (that's the "retail therapy" research). Sad people have also been found to pay more for the same item, as if "change my situation" became the goal. And you're on the fast, gut-feel system, so "this will make me feel better" gets accepted before the slower "do I need this?" voice has a say. It's rarely about the thing, it's about wanting the feeling to stop. Putting it in the cart and waiting 24 hours helps a lot, because the urge usually fades first.
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u/WhazUpSF 11d ago
Per Carl Young, Walnut Creek, circa 1988- Pay for me (a family therapist) or go shopping. Same effect and you have something to hold in your hands