Abby Connolly
As a young woman navigating her 20s, I sometimes struggle with managing my money. In an age where social media tends to make us believe we need more material things than we actually do, many people find themselves overspending.
Thankfully, Paige (@overcoming_overspending), a spending coach who helps women manage their money for a living, recently posted a video explaining how social media platforms can lead to users overspending and buying things they don’t need.
“I’m seeing these themes coming through about what your consumption habits should look like that actually aren’t very normal, and frankly, they’re not super healthy,” says Paige at the beginning of her video.
Paige lists the four primary themes she sees on social media that often encourage audiences to spend more than they should.
The first theme she’s noticed is that people who post on social media tend to make us believe that we must have the newest and best version of something. Paige points out that you’ll never get much use or value out of your products if you’re constantly buying the next big thing you see on social media.
Always wanting new material items and hopping from one thing to the next can also lead to unnecessary junk and clutter.
The second major theme Paige sees on social media is people prioritizing things that bring them instant gratification over delayed gratification. For instance, you may have noticed that people online constantly talk about getting themselves little ‘treats.’
I mean, who hasn’t seen at least one influencer’s ‘day in the life’ routine that doesn’t involve buying a nice drink from a coffee shop?
But, of course, over time, these little treats add up.
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