Sometimes I like to reward myself for mediocre accomplishments. “I worked really hard this week,” I tell myself as I open my laptop. “I deserve something new,” I say while adding a clothing item to my virtual cart. “Its been a hard week, I need some retail therapy,” is the final justification as Apple Pay scans my finger and makes my order official.
Advances in online shopping have made “retail therapy” dangerously accessible. According to an Annual Retail Trade Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, online shopping increased by 43%, or $244 billion, in 2020. And Amazon reports that its customers purchase roughly 7,400 products per minute from U.S. sellers.
As online shopping grows increasingly common, so do online shopping addictions. Shopping addiction, also known as compulsive buying disorder, affects 18 million U.S. adults, according to Healthline.
Online shopping provides retail therapy
Shopping is proven to provide temporary gratification, reports Time magazine, but it does not have the power to fix real issues. Still, shoppers turn to their favorite online retailers to “cure” their depressive symptoms.
“Just cured my depression (online shopping),” one Twitter user posted. And several other Twitter users shared similar feelings about how online shopping provides them with a “cure” for depression.
Why do I love online shopping?
Online shopping is an experience that can be tailored to every customer’s needs. No mall has all your favorite stores, but they are all online. Every size, color and fit is also typically available online. Online shopping can be done as quickly or slowly as the shopper desires from the comfort of their couch, bed, desk or even bathtub.
Online shopping is “a much more gratifying experience overall, because there’s less friction, less barriers, less behavioral cost, more specificity and more choice,” explains Joshua Klapow, a psychologist and adjunct associate professor of public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, per Time.
Shopping is more convenient online. There is no hassle of busy malls or long lines. Addictions.com reports that 43% of online shoppers make purchases while in bed and 20% do their online shopping from the car or bathroom. But online shopping offers more than convenience — it provides both instant gratification and delayed gratification.
What causes shopping addiction?
Online shopping is emotionally driven, says Jorge Barraza, program director and assistant professor in the online master of science in applied psychology program at the University of Southern California, per Time.
“When we’re sad, when we’re stressed, we’re more likely to engage in this kind of behavior,” said Barraza, per Time. “That boost in mood might be transitory, if you’re spending more than you can afford, but at least temporarily it does appear to restore a sense of control, and reduce any residual sadness that people might be experiencing.”
A 2014 study by the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that shopping gives people instant happiness and fights lingering sadness. One reason for this, the study suggested, is that shopping provides feelings of personal control and autonomy.
Online shopping can also provide delayed gratification that comes from anticipating the arrival of an online order. Awaiting a package is “like Christmas every day,” says Klapow, per Time.
Am I addicted to online shopping?
Addiction.com defines compulsive buying disorder as “feeling the desire to go shopping and buy items that are not necessarily needed for the sake of satisfying an urge, or to self-medicate for conditions like depression and anxiety.”
Like any addiction, a shopping addiction can lead to major consequences. If your shopping has led to inability to pay debts, fractured relationships or purchasing things you don’t use, you might have a problem, according to WebMD.
Here are some other signs of a shopping addiction, according to Addiction.com:
- Finding items you forgot you bought.
- Feeling guilty or ashamed of your shopping habits.
- Obsessing over shopping funds.
- Finding clothes with the tags still on.
- Shopping to manage feelings of sadness or depression.
- Feeling a rush of pleasure from online shopping.
How to stop your shopping addiction
It can be difficult to manage a shopping addiction, because making purchases (such as food and other groceries) is a necessary part of life.
There are 12-step programs available such as debtorsanonymous.org and support groups.
Other treatment options suggested by WebMD include financial counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy or family therapy.