Social Media and Emotional Spending: Finding Your Triggers
Learn how social media influences your spending decisions and discover strategies to protect your finances from comparison culture.
How many times has this happened: you’re mindlessly scrolling Instagram, see someone’s gorgeous latte art setup, and suddenly you’re on Amazon buying a milk frother you’ll use exactly twice?
Or you watch a TikTok about someone’s “life-changing” skincare routine and find yourself with a cart full of products you can’t pronounce, let alone afford?
According to research from the CFA Institute, 73% of millennials make purchases that are directly influenced by social media. (Source: CFA Institute, “How TikTok is transforming financial advice,” https://www.cfainstitute.org/insights/articles/how-tiktok-transforming-financial-advice)
Social platforms are literally designed to make you want things. The pretty photos, the targeted ads, the “everyone has this except you” feeling—it’s all carefully crafted to trigger your spending impulses.
