If you’ve ever made an impulse purchase only to get it home or receive it in the mail and realize you have no use for it — and no real idea why you bought it in the first place — you probably experienced the phenomenon “consumption noise,” the feeling that you should buy something, even without a clear reason.
“Consumption noise is real, and it can be especially loud when you need a boost,” says Erica Sandberg, a consumer finance expert at BadCredit.org. When negative emotions — loneliness, frustration, fear, boredom — are overwhelming, she says, “the ability to purchase something is like scratching an itch. It’s instant pleasure.”
Online shopping delivers a second round of pleasure, ratcheting up the addictiveness. “It’s exciting to get a package in the mail,” Sandberg says. When the excitement wears off, however, you’re left with the stress, triggered by financial strain and physical clutter, that comes with buying things you don’t need.
Consumption noise isn’t new, but thanks to technology, it’s louder now
Consumption noise is the term used to describe a complex set of feelings and drivers that lead to impulsive and compulsive shopping. “There are numerous underlying emotional traits that influence people to make compulsive purchases. I see it largely as a symptom of anxiety and a desire to escape negative feelings,” says Cass Santander, an interior designer and the founder of Nanai Home. She points out that consumption noise isn’t a new phenomenon: “It’s just more pervasive and nearly unavoidable because of social media, data collection, targeted advertising and AI.”
It’s almost impossible not to be influenced by what we see around us, regardless of whether we’re seeing it online or IRL. But the desire to spend inspired by online content is particularly insidious, leading to unplanned purchases and overspending. “TikTok videos and Instagram reels are not just compelling to watch. They can make you feel that you need certain items,” Sandberg says. “It’s even harder to tune out the consumption noise when there is a direct link to [make] the purchase.”
Consumption noise affects our wallets, our homes and our psyches
Unchecked consumption noise, Sandberg says, “can be financially and emotionally dangerous,” especially when it results in overwhelming credit card debt: “It’s hard to overstate the negative implications. Interest will be added to the balances, making those purchases more expensive than they need to be. Think of it like the opposite of a sale. Instead of a discount, you’re paying far more than the purchase price.”
The emotional effects of overspending and overbuying are equally damaging. “We know that clutter raises stress hormone activity,” Santander says. “Unchecked consumption noise is a treadmill of dissatisfaction. After the dopamine hit wears off, you’re often left with regret — which can trigger another impulse buy.”
Amber Biello-Taylor, a psychotherapist and addiction professional, says not properly regulating consumption noise and reduce unnecessary purchases can worsen existing feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt and shame. “Those same feelings can contribute to relationship issues, and excessive purchases lead to clutter in their home,” she says.
Consumption noise particularly affects people who experience perfectionist, approval-seeking, people-pleasing and impulsive tendencies, or those who have difficulties with self-regulation. “Ultimately, the consumption noise or excessive unnecessary purchases are merely a symptom of a deeper-rooted struggle often tied to a person’s identity, self-worth, need for validation or an attempt to create a sense of control in their life,” she says.
Signs that consumption noise is controlling your behavior
Biello-Taylor says there are several signs that problematic behaviors are the result of unchecked consumption noise:
- Comparing the way you look or the things you have to what you see on social media.
- Repeatedly purchasing things you weren’t previously thinking about buying.
- Feeling like you need to replace items with newer, trending ones.
- Neglecting responsibilities and obligations because you’re scrolling on social media for potential purchases.
- Buying things you don’t need despite being in debt.
Mounting anxiety over money, in particular, signals that it is time to address the problem of consumption noise and the resulting overspending. “If you’re starting to feel stressed out about paying your essential bills or the excess spending is landing on your credit cards but you don’t have a realistic way to pay it off quickly, it is more than time to log off,” Sandberg says.
Quiet consumption noise using these techniques and controls
Logging off, however, can be hard. “Social media drives consumption noise,” Biello-Taylor says. “Targeted marketing through algorithms, creative marketing strategies that encourage social comparison, and constant exposure contribute to consumption noise by keeping products and purchasing at the forefront of a person’s attention.” The consumption noise created by social media, Sandberg says, “can be so loud that it drowns out common sense. When you stop listening to it, though, you can get back on track.” These strategies can help quiet things down.
Unfollow, unsubscribe, delete
Setting controls on your use of social media can help keep social media from controlling you. “Swap watching luxury influencers for those who concentrate on budgeting, simple pleasures or how to get more for less,” Sandberg says. “There’s a vast universe of different types of content.” Biello-Taylor recommends resetting algorithms, blocking certain content and setting time limits to curb problematic social media use. Finally, she says, “if the consumption noise is getting too loud, silence it. Purge the apps from your mobile devices.”
Hit pause between your cart and the buy button
Create a space between seeing something you like and actually buying it. There are a number of ways to do this: “Drop items in an online cart and let them sit there for a week or more,” Sandberg says. Using wish lists or inspiration boards is another option for creating a pause between seeing and buying.
“Something I do to put on the brakes,” Santander says, “is to have a hidden Pinterest board where I save products that catch my eye. Nine times out of 10, I never buy them.” She also encourages people to look ahead to the item’s future. “Ask what will it look like five, 10, 50 years from now. Will it still have value? Will I get tired of it? Where will it end up?”
Explore your feelings and how they affect your purchasing behavior
Biello-Taylor advises people struggling with overconsumption to be aware of and to challenge their thoughts when online content sparks the urge to buy: “They may ask questions like, ‘Do I want this, or do I need this? Am I using this to fill a void, or will buying this make me feel better or worse?’”
She also recommends using cognitive behavioral techniques to bring awareness to events or experiences that trigger the desire to buy: “A person might also ask, ‘What am I feeling in my body?’ when consumption noise is present or at its loudest. Oftentimes, understanding what is driving the symptom can help determine the treatment needed to address or improve the underlying root cause.”
The post Do you really need to buy that? How to quiet ‘consumption noise.’ appeared first on Washington Post.
