Promoting impulsive behaviour among youth

With a majority of people spending up to several hours glued to their smartphones on a daily basis, especially in an era when social media has become a necessity and a source of reliability, it is common for users to get influenced by bloggers, no matter how much we deny or avoid this.

Youngsters are easy to influence and are tricked into believing things that often are done with the purpose of promoting and selling a brand, an item, a restaurant or a hotel, among other things. Gone are the days when people would visit travel agencies to get their hotel reservations and tickets done. These days, everything is readily available on the internet.

On one hand, social media influencers deserve appreciation for acting as critics and experiencing things first-hand before making suggestions. On the other, they are also to be blamed for promoting misleading information that helps them generate sponsorships.

I believe, no matter how much information we have on social media, one should be wise enough to decide based on one’s own instincts. For example, a product suggested online may not work for everyone. These blogs and those writing them should only be used as a source of reference so that people can gain information on what is trending and popular. I admit, just like millions of other social media users, I cannot help but read blogs. To me they serve as a go-to guide. They keep me updated on what is happening and what is trending.

These blogs are a good source of reference, but lead to impulsive buying by encouraging people to indulge in things that are not necessary or suitable for them.