Turns out your social media FOMO and intense need to Gatsby the hell out of your life isn’t only restricted to travel. UBank has been putting in the research and, as suspected, beaut pics of glamorous people in things you can’t afford might just be making you think you can afford them. It’s why social media influencers and wannabes exist after all. But what is a little…concerning?…is that it turns out y’all don’t even care.
Real talk, I myself (a reasonably financially responsible person, at least while sober) have 100% been a victim of this from time to time. Does anyone else follow that Nail The Look story on Snapchat? I literally only go on Snapchat for it and that stupid Phone Swap dating one, because that is the exciting life I lead.
Anyway, the point of this story being that one girl was dressed in this AMAZING faux red leather skirt and I immediately Googled it because, obviously, it was essential to my life. It was already sold out. Completely done. I wish I could say I was glad that I didn’t make this unnecessary and shallow purchase but actually, I’m still just annoyed I didn’t act on my impulse faster like everyone else did.
Don’t even be rolling your eyes at me, because a full 66% of you admit to doing exactly the same thing, and almost the same amount check what your network is buying before you spend your own cashola.
This next one though is a little weird. 27% of millennials shared their recent purchases online purely hoping to impress their followers. I say weird and was definitely about to deny that I would ever do such a thing, then I remembered dinner last night and the fact I just impulsively threw the pretty-looking feast on my Insta story without a second thought. I don’t think it was purely to look fancy so much as just prove that sometimes I do things that aren’t watching Snapchat stories, but even that argument is still 100% motivated by what my social network thinks of me.
Another 23% of millennials go the extra mile and admit to having bought things they straight up couldn’t afford just to get a response on their socials. Again, I actually started to describe the eye roll I just did (just like your Nanna would have), but then I remembered the super beautiful shoes I Boomerang my feet in every time I wear them (in my defence, I worked for the designer at the time so I had a hefty discount…and they are SERIOUSLY beautiful).
But I do draw the line there. I am not part of the 26% who say they are definitely fucking up their savings thanks to the things they absolutely have to share on their socials and 1 in 10 would happily trade $200 for 1000 likes…Well ok, maybe I’d occasionally trade in the dosh. Occasionally. But what if you buy the thing and everyone thinks it’s ug? What then?!
But guys.
Guys.
I’m no financial expert, but this is bad for you. It’s bad for your bank account, it’s not great for any future situations you might actually NEED to spend the money on, and it’s really not fab for your emotional health seeing as a quarter of you are also getting super jelly when someone else shows off their new possessions.
So imho just, calm ya tits, ok?
