The Impact of Social Media Use and Impulsivity on Overconsumption

Abstract

Overconsumption is a growing global problem that has effects on the global, societal, and personal level. It produces negative social outcomes such as poor spending habits and using items as an unhealthy form of coping. It also impacts our planet by filling landfills and polluting oceans with discarded garments. A large amount of clothing is also made unethically since many clothing factory workers are not paid a living wage. With all these things in mind, there is a large need to understand the cause and drive behind overconsumption to try to halt its harmful effects. This study examines the correlations among social media use, function/ dysfunction impulsivity, and overconsumption. Results showed a negative correlation between dysfunctional impulsivity and social media use (r = -.228, p < .001). social media use showed a negative correlation to overconsumption (r = -.280, p < .001). This suggests that individuals who spent more time on social media were less likely to overconsume, whereas those who had lower social media use scores had a higher likelihood to overconsume. A positive correlation between functional and dysfunctional impulsivity (r = .466, p < .001) was also found. This shows that many people who present traits of dysfunctional impulsivity may also present traits of functional impulsivity.