Large majority of millennials say social media impacts their buying choices

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, especially when it comes to younger generations. Its impact is farreaching, influencing us in countless ways, from our body image to our political views to buying decisions.

Speaking of the latter, millennials seem to be especially prone to allowing social media content to guide their spending.

While social media feeds can be a good resource to discover all types of new products, it’s important to exercise caution and not let impulse buying creep up on you.

Here’s what to consider before hitting “add to cart” because a social media post told you so.

Millennials are most likely to feel the impact of social media on their buying choices

According to a survey from CreditCards.com from last week, 72% of millennials say social media impacts their buying decisions. This is the most likely age group to be influenced by social media in their spending, followed by 66 percent of Gen-Z, 49%of Gen X and 45% of baby boomers.

Millennials tend to trust posts from their friends and family, with this type of content influencing 38% of millennials when it comes to shopping. Only 20% of millennials report making purchases inspired by posts from celebrities or influencers.

At the same time, this doesn’t mean millennials ignore ads. In fact, advertisements are the second most influential type of social media content, impacting buying decisions of 31% of millennials.