According to Dr.Hoffman from Addiction Help, “Around 5.8% of the US general population currently suffers from a compulsive buying disorder or shopping addiction.”.
Is this shocking to anyone, or has this become theis this the new normal in the world?. I feel like shopping is so glamorized that people don't really pay attention to how much they really are spending. 
Between having things like tiktok shops, amazon finds, super deal days and overall just access to social media, the rise in overspending and over shopping has become a real problem. 
Back when I was younger, I would always be with my mom and we would be going into stores and buy buying something almost every time. There would be something that caught her eye, and she would decide to buy it. It could be the most useless item, and she would still buy it, and as a kid, I loved that she would always buy me things. But as I got older and really started to realize my habits, I saw that I have a real life problem that originated from watching my mom.
Why do people develop shopping problems? What is the reason that shopping has become a real problem? Is it accessibility? These are questions I genuinely have about this problem because it's an addiction that I can’t shake no matter how hard I try.
Anytime I'm sad, I just go shopping and it makes me feel so much better and happier. After when I see my bank account is when I then get upset again and the cycle continues on. Up and down constantly because it's a revolving cycle that makes it feel like a void can’t be filled.
Tying back to social media, Now in 2024, we have so much access to online shopping that it makes it virtually impossible to not come across some sort of shopping. While just scrolling on tiktok trying to have a laugh, tiktok adds pop up left and right while also having creators getting paid to have a link to the tiktok shop on their video. When people see something they like, they most likely go ahead and buy it due to convenience. 
There are algorithms that creep on your search history and create ads that fall under the interests that you once looked at. This is a marketing tactic to try and push people to buy things that go along with similar interests that they previously had. Technology advancements essentially stalk the consumers and generate the ideal shopping for each and every person.  
An article on Tech Wyse stated that “user demonstrations and recommendations on social media also sway purchasing decisions.”. This is an example of how when people see influential people using something;, it influences them into buying the product. 
This is why brands pay famous and well known people to promote their products. When a consumer sees someone they admire or find successful say that a product is good, they automatically buy it because it makes them feel like they are getting a good product. This marketing tactic is great for business and sucks people in. 
As a personal advice, as someone who genuinely does have a shopping addiction, I would recommend to people to not fall into the influential riptide that happens nowadays. Stick to saving your money and buying the essentials that you need. Because like The Strokes said “ Don’t go there ‘cause you’ll never return”. 
Ultimately, social media platforms need to stop praying upon people and stalking to benefit themselves. As a society we need to stop feeding into the marketing tactics companies use to try and bait us. 

Works Consulted
Hoffman, Kent S., and Jessica Miller. “Shopping Addiction Statistics - Compulsive Spending
Facts (2023).” Addiction Help, 10 May 2024, addictionhelp.com/shopping-addiction/statistics/. Accessed 16 May 2024.
M, Vishnu. “How Social Media Influences Consumer Purchasing Decisions.” TechWyse, 26
February 2024,
techwyse.com/blog/social-media-marketing/how-social-media-influences-consumer-purchasing-decisions#. Accessed 16 May 2024.