Social media has gone from a place to share vacation photos to a full-blown shopping channel. It’s no longer just entertainment, with a whopping two-thirds of scrollers buying products that are put up on their feeds.
It’s quietly redefining “needs,” as nearly half of users say trends influence what they feel is necessary to buy.
Impulse spending adds up fast, with many shoppers spending hundreds a year — and more than half regretting those purchases later.
Social media has become one of the most powerful shopping platforms in the U.S., and many consumers don’t realize how deeply it’s influencing their spending until the regret sets in.
According to a new survey from LendingTree, 67% of weekly social media users say they’ve purchased a product after seeing it on a social platform. Nearly half say social media shapes what they consider “necessary” to buy, blurring the line between wants and needs in the process.
What starts as casual scrolling is increasingly turning into impulse spending, and for many households, it’s adding up fast.
From scrolling to spending
The LendingTree survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers found that social platforms now function like always-open storefronts.
Among weekly social media users:
- 67% have bought something after seeing it on social media
- 58% say an influencer prompted their purchase
- 68% admit they sometimes make impulse purchases because of social content
The most common categories are clothing (26%), beauty products (18%), and tech (15%), followed by food, home goods, digital products, and children’s items.
Younger users and parents are especially susceptible. More than 80% of Gen Zers, millennials, and parents with children under 18 report buying something after seeing it online. This shows that lifestyle content and family-focused ads are particularly effective.
When trends start to feel “necessary”
Social media doesn’t just encourage buying, it reshapes expectations.
The survey found that:
- 43% of users feel pressure to keep up with trends they see online
- 49% say social media influences what they consider “necessary” to buy
- 48% say it increases their desire for new or trending products
- 78% believe social media is fueling consumerism overall
That pressure is strongest among Gen Z and parents, who are more likely to feel judged, or left behind, if they don’t keep up with what’s trending.
In other words, social media doesn’t just suggest products, it’s actually resetting the baseline for what feels normal to own.
The hidden cost of scrolling
For many consumers, social-driven shopping isn’t a one-off event. It’s become more of a habit.
Over the past year:
- 30% of social media shoppers say they spent $500 or more on social-influenced purchases.
- Nearly half of six-figure earners report spending at least that much.
- 29% of users say they’ve cut back on social media specifically to save money.
While most shoppers estimate spending under $250, those small purchases can pile up fairly quickly.
Tips to shop social media without blowing your budget
The key is to make it harder to make those impulse purchases when scrolling on social platforms, especially TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
Here are some tips that’ll do just that.
Turn payment into a pause
Make it harder to make impulse purchases by removing any saved credit cards and digital wallet connections from social apps. By having to manually enter your payment details, it slows down the process just enough for you to reconsider those quick buys.
Use alerts as a reality check
Set transaction alerts so you see social purchases in real time. Monthly statements broken down by category can also reveal patterns you may not notice day to day.
Don’t finance trends
Using buy now, pay later or carrying a credit card balance for trend-driven purchases can turn short-lived excitement into long-term debt. Treat social shopping as discretionary spending and pay it off in full every month.
Mute the algorithm, not your willpower
Unfollow or mute accounts that constantly push shopping hauls, “must-haves,” and affiliate links. Fewer triggers = fewer impulse buys.
Add a 24-hour rule for anything you didn’t search for
If the algorithm did it's job and found you while scrolling, consider waiting a full day before buying and see it you still want it 24 hours later. Most regret-driven purchases disappear once the initial hype wears off.