We Must Acknowledge Shopping FOMO

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Walking through the doors of a store is a magical experience. The world of shopping is fun, exciting, and enthralling, especially when it involves this four-letter word S-A-L-E. On today’s social media sites, shopping is promoted on all ends. Facebook and Instagram promote Google ads targeted at users’ shopping searches. Influencers, myself included, promote shopping and sales, too. Apps such as LikeItToKnowIt make the shopping process much easier and smoother. All in all, shopping is made to be an easy and vital part of our lives. However, none of us can shop 24/7. That being said, I think it is important that we acknowledge the feeling known as shopping FOMO.

FOMO is the acronym for “fear of missing out.” When it comes to the world of shopping that we live in today, the fear of missing out on the latest sale, brand-new launch, and buying something while in a store with a friend is all too real for many of us. Indeed, shopping FOMO may even be the latest trend in our society today. The irony is that given how widespread shopping FOMO is, no one seems to mention it.

In our world, money does not grow on trees. There are several people who struggle to afford food to put on their families’ tables, pay their monthly rent, and simply stay afloat. Life is tough for many. COVID-19 has brought on these uncertain financial times for several people and has continued to in the recent months, weeks, and days. Financial uncertainty is a hardship for so many in our world today, and the pressure to shop within our society makes it so much worse for those who are coping and living with these uncertainties.

When financially insecure times and economic downturns hit our world, several sales hit the racks of our favorite stores. Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Vineyard Vines, and Tuckernuck to name a few have been having more frequent sales to make up for the loss in revenue. COVID-19 has brought these stores with a lot of financial uncertainties, themselves. At the same time, with these increasingly high numbers of sales, there comes a lot of pressure from within society and ourselves to shop until we drop AND shop until we drop via every sale that we can get our hands on.

Shopping is super fun – do not get me wrong. However, shopping can also be a financial strain for many, especially when done in extreme amounts. Society does pressure us to shop more than we can, but it is very important to remember our limits both financially and mentally. While it is fun to buy a new item for ourselves to enjoy, we also have to remember to enjoy ourselves and our own company. At the end of the day, what you buy should be something that you genuinely want yourself NOT what society tells you to buy. Remember that the next time you’re on a shopping spree.