The scientific reason why online shopping gives you such a nice feeling
For that new white pair of pants, you don't even have to get up from your chair anymore. No way, three clicks later and mister Zara is on his way to your front door with his basket full.
Why does it feel so good to shop online? Because, eh, didn't we already have a white pair of pants in the closet? Why do we want another one? Why do we never have enough bags (expensive hobby, oops), never enough dresses for the beach (really needed, yes really, a different one every day), never enough makeup, ankle boots, or black shirts? It seems like a disease. But luckily, we are not the only ones who make filling the baskets a bit excessive: online shopping is becoming more popular by the day.
It has a somewhat sad reason, as psychological research shows. We do it to have more control over our lives. Look, we can't just buy that new top position, but we can buy that blazer in which we feel more confident at work. That's how shopping works. You buy something that makes you feel better, and that's something we always want as humans. You want to feel pretty. And so you really need those silver pumps. Even if you wear them twice a year. That's not the point. The fact that you can choose whether to throw silver or white pumps in your basket and have them delivered at home gives you that nice feeling of control to have. You can do that, ha! And so we want to do it.
And the fact that we get happy from something new is due to the substance dopamine that is produced in our brains as soon as we click ‘order’. And that substance is addictive: it feels good and therefore we want to keep repeating this behavior. It works the same way as eating something delicious and having sex. Order more, order more, order maaaaar. That idea. It works with shopping in such a way that certain parts of your brain become active when you decide not to buy something. That then gives you a feeling of ‘losing something’. And that hurts a little. And we also shop more when we don't feel good about ourselves. Oh, does that twenty euros still matter to you? We need comfort then, and comfort is a great excuse for many white pants. Isn't it terrible that we are like this? But we can do very little about it.
The remarkable thing is that putting on something new doesn't even make you the happiest. It's mainly about the fun beforehand. Looking, searching, scouring every site, finding your size, filling your basket, yay, bought! And now just follow that package. Where is it, where is it? Sending that photo to your friend of those new sneakers that are coming your way. That fun beforehand is a big part of the addiction of the whole online shopping. For many, it's even like a kind of sport: you also want to win, and you win by actually buying it. And then you have that new white blouse hanging in your closet and not someone else. And besides the competitive feeling, it also gives you your sense of freedom: you choose, you decide, you wear. That's what we want, every day again.
What a misery. On almost every site, I have filled a basket and ask myself: can I buy this from myself? Usually, I can. And it's never enough. Never. Unfortunately. I have the most beautiful bag hanging on the coat rack that I so wanted, and I already see a new one somewhere. And now I want that. Exhausting. And even worse: as a new mother, I can also shop for two boys, and let Zara have incredibly cute pants... Then that one extra white pair for mom doesn't stand out so much, right?
