Press-on nails, fidget toys, a blanket, and freeze-dried Skittles were not items sophomore best friends Grace Zellner and Jocelyn Nifong planned to buy from TikTok Shop, but each was promoted in a video on their ‘For You Page’. The videos had direct links to purchase the products without leaving the app, allowing users to purchase the products immediately. Social media platforms are now integrating shopping features into their apps, making impulse buying more accessible.
According to the Emarketer website, TikTok Shop sales reached $15.8 billion in revenue in 2025 and are expected to grow to $23 billion by 2026. Pews Research Center claims teens are the largest portion of consumers on these platforms, meaning they contribute the most to this revenue. The revenue growth shows how frequently teens interact and use the app’s shopping feature. These apps obtain user data when an account is created, like what users view and engage with, to tailor advertisements, increasing the probability of impulse buying.
“Teenagers are a major marketing target because they tend to have a large amount of disposable income,” personal economics teacher Thomas Saam said. “Most don’t have major expenses like a mortgage or car payments, so nearly all the money they earn can be spent.”
The financial flexibility that many teenagers have correlates with unplanned purchases. According to a study posted by the National Library of Medicine in 2021, impulse buying accounts for between 40 and 80 percent of all consumer purchases and often is driven by sudden and strong emotional desire rather than careful decision making.
“This has to do with behavioral economics,” Saam said. “People often lack impulse control, and that can lead to overconsumption. On top of that, teenagers’ brains are still developing, which can make impulse control more difficult.”
Behavioral Economics explains why people don’t always make logical financial decisions by combining psychology and economics. Analysis from the National Research of Mental Health in 2023 suggests that teenagers are still developing impulse control and decision making skills, which can make these types of purchases tempting. Marketing tactics are designed to catch the attention of younger users and teenagers. Ads can often appear when scrolling for entertainment, making it easier to buy without thinking about their purchase.
“Everything in marketing is purposeful,” Sports Marketing teacher Olivia Wojciak said. “From the colors used to the influencers featured, advertisements are designed to connect with the audience and make them more likely to buy impulsively.”
Influencer hauls, Amazon storefronts, and sponsored posts that repeatedly show the constant purchase of new items are common across media platforms. In a survey of 2,000 consumers, 65 percent of Gen Z responders reported feeling pressure from social media to buy things they don’t need in order to keep up with the rapidly changing trends. Clothing and accessories are the most frequently purchased items.
“I always go to content creators’ TikTok or Amazon storefront shops,” junior Grace Zellner said. “The amount of items I’ve bought through people’s Amazon pages is crazy. I’ve bought hoodies, sweatpants, leggings, shoes, and makeup, and so much more.”
Social media platforms make it easy to click and buy right from a short video, and many platforms have created their own businesses because of this. For example, TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, and Pinterest Product Pins are all new additions to the original apps. Users can view product details and purchase an item without leaving the app. This is demonstrated by a 2025 survey by a market research firm, KS&R, that found 51 percent of consumers have purchased directly through a social media platform.
“There’s the marketing strategy where it’s ‘on sale now for three more hours’, and you think to yourself, oh, I have to get this right now. It’s always the most random stuff that appears. When you see it on a video, it can make you think it would be a really good gift for someone you know,” Zellner said.
These marketing strategies are meant to create urgency, pushing users to buy before they have had time to think it through. Countdown timers will often show up in users’ carts, which can cause consumers to feel rushed to buy even if they are indecisive. A study in 2025 by KS&R found that among Gen Z social media users, 67 percent report that discounts and promotions influenced their purchasing decisions.
“Being aware and an informed person is key. Just know that they’re targeting you and that they’re doing their job, but you don’t have to fall into it. Stay strong and only buy what you initially need. Knowing you’re being targeted is the first step,” Wojciak said.