It seems that social networks are creating a kind of “consumption tension” in individuals from Generation Z and Millennials. At least that's what recent research has shown.
The survey in question was commissioned by the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte. More than 22,000 people who were born between 1980 and 2010, in about 44 countries, were interviewed.
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The most curious data captured by the survey was that 43% of respondents responded that social networks push them to buy more than they should.
Many of these people have even stated that they get into debt because of this stimulated compulsion.
Michele Parmelee, who is director of Personnel and Relationship at Deloitte, says that this behavior is motivated by the advertising of clothes, accessories and other things used by influencers, as well as by the paid traffic.
“This could be the result of seeing regular posts from friends or influencers showcasing high-end clothing and vacations, as well as targeted ads,” says Michele.
“In these ways, social media can generate the desire to have more things and spend more money”, adds the executive.
Young people are increasingly out of money for “luxuries”
In contrast to the data gathered by this research, other surveys carried out recently have demonstrating that young people from generations Z and Millennials do not have the money to spend on “treats for themselves themselves”.
It turns out that, because of inflation and the economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more young people seek to take second jobs to pay bills and plan to cut superfluous spending to better control the finance.
In this sense, the flood of ads and forced publicity on social networks can act as a vector of problems for those people who are already in need of financial help.
That's because consumerism can serve as an outlet for tension as it further exacerbates the financial damage already faced by young people.
The famous impulse purchases also tend to provoke regret in buyers, who may even develop some kind of psychological problem in the medium or long term.
Sarah Foster, who is a data analyst at Bankrate.com, spoke about how harmful advertising on social media can be. “They [social media ads] can harm our finances more than they can benefit our lives,” she said.
The most viable way out is to disconnect
The Deloitte study also shows that at least one in five individuals from Generation Z and Millennials spend more than four hours a day on social networks and streaming services.
This makes these people more exposed to advertisements, and, in addition, they start to compare their own lives and current financial situation with those of influencers and other network bigwigs, which is also harmful to mental health.
According to Brittany Harker Martin, who is an associate professor of leadership, policy and governance at the University from Calgary, Canada, being exposed to these contents for a long time has a negative effect on the brain.
“Long sessions scrolling through social networks make our brain check and send neurochemical signals of demotivation and failure”, said the scholar.
The effects pointed out by Brittany can even result in psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, for example.
Therefore, staying away from social networks for a longer time, paying more attention to real life, can be the solution to many problems.
Graduated in History and Human Resources Technology. Passionate about writing, today he lives the dream of acting professionally as a Content Writer for the Web, writing articles in different niches and different formats.
