The Price Teens Pay for Scrolling
by Rithmika Naveen
Imagine opening TikTok for a quick scrolling break before eating dinner. Without your knowledge, it only takes a couple of minutes before you are entranced by an influencer selling you a trending new pair of headphones. Somehow, the TikTok algorithm perfectly curated a feed that preyed on your psychological triggers and led to you spending $50 you could have saved. This happens to everyone in the digital age, and especially teens; yet, I worry about the implications of social media and impulse spending habits on the next generation of students.
A contributing factor to how easy purchases have become is how popular media channels such as Instagram and TikTok allow you to buy items without leaving the app. When you see 10 consecutive videos of influencers raving about a certain product, it is only natural that your brain wants to satisfy the appeal for instant gratification. Due to the frictionless payment methods, teens are not as aware of spending excess money.
The algorithm is not random. It is strategically curated to reveal products tailored to your personal preferences or content that you search for. Even though it may seem like the page is reading your mind, it is just tracking your interactions on the app. Since the products that you see advertised on your screen match your unique interests, the harder it is to resist the urge to buy something.
The rise of Social Media “influencing” is another cause of impulse spending habits in teenagers. Their jobs are to establish a connection with the viewer, which they can then leverage to advertise for certain products or services for which they receive a commission for. When students see people living a lifestyle they aspire to replicate, they develop a desire to buy items that align with this image.
Of course, trends add another level of complexity to these habits. Online trends and overconsumption culture move through clothing trends so fast that items gain and lose value overnight. This creates a feeling for students to want to keep up with these ever-changing ideas, or rather, spending money on microtrends. This leads to small, seemingly meaningless purchases that compound over time.
The purpose of this piece is not to point out flaws in teenage spending habits as a whole. It is about how the intricate design of social media platforms has the power to guide decisions without you realizing it; impulse spending habits are one of many consequences on youth living in the digital age. It is my hope that by understanding how these platforms work, we can recognize how to differentiate between wanting to make a purchase and the algorithm pushing you to do so. This awareness will cultivate thoughtful and deliberate young change makers.
