Two words that could make anyone who has to pay credit card bills cringe--online shopping. Unlike porn, gambling, and away message stalking which are all your average, harmful, albeit embarrassing habits, an addiction to online shopping can send you spiraling into debt, and climbing over boxes of unopened baby clothing, (your youngest child is 17..)treadmills, and Christmas decorations. Because obviously everyone knows if you buy something by clicking a button.. it doesn't really count, it's just "money." The opportunity to purchase something.. anything online can lead to problematic internet usage because of how easy and convenient it is. Everything you could ever want, and never need, is literally at your finger tips. The hassle of.. ugh ..actually driving to a store is completely eliminated. You could feasibly do all your shopping positively naked if that is what your heart desired. Compulsively shopping and buying things online is certainly a maladaptive behavior that could, and if not stopped, probably would, result in negative social consequences. Credit card debt can be pretty serious if it is not attended to. Depending on the severity of the online shopping, negative academic and professional consequences could incur as well.(Beauty school drop out?)
According to Caplan, individual psychosocial problems could be the cause of obsessive online shopping, as well as the unique desirable characteristics of the internet,(over night shipping for one)including easy access, anonymity, and available variety.
Individuals who have their credit card number memorized from over ordering may indeed have various psychosocial problems that might lead them to turn to the internet instead of completing the same tasks in a face to face environment. A preference for online interaction may be the result of intense loneliness, or even depression. Some find malls to be unpleasant, crowded, threatening places. (the people, the pretzels, the sales oh my!) The internet is welcoming, and allows for more individual control.
I can respect the average couch potato, but when a preference for the internet overpowers the basic need for face to face communication, that becomes problematic because excessive and compulsive online shopping can ensue, which is clearly a very serious problem.
Aside from special coupons only to be used online that stores bombard you with once you sign up for their mailing list, the world of online shopping does offer substantial perks. It is anonymous in the sense that no real person sees what you're doing. Maybe you are 45 and exclusively dress yourself in assorted Disney paraphernalia. That is embarrassing, and anonymity may be crucial in that sort of situation. Perhaps someone who is generally bitter and an all around unpleasant individual would enjoy the lack of nonverbal cues the online shopping environment offers. Amongst both the psychological and internet factors involved, is a plethora of possibilities for causing excessive online shopping. Unfortunately, if abused, online shopping can lead to problematic internet usage, causing negative consequences. Mostly, this excessive and compulsive behavior puts you on the path to probable bankruptcy.
1 comment:
Christina,
I found your post really interesting because personally, I never saw the allure of online shopping. The experience of going to the store and actually trying on clothes or browsing through books with your friends is half the fun of it. Still, I recognize that the convenience and the saved time attracts some people to the virtual shopping world.
I agree with your analysis of online shopping fitting Caplan’s model. People who are self-conscious about trying clothes on in stores or who want to avoid face to face interaction are likely to abuse online shopping. I’ll agree that sometimes sales people watching over you like hawks as you emerge from the fitting room can be pretty annoying. Some people prefer the social safety barrier of the internet, but this perceived social control can easily transform into excessive use of online shopping sites. These shoppers may find themselves buried in debt because paying online is less immediate than paying face to face and consciously watching the money exchanged for items. Like you said, this lack of immediacy can eventually lead to bankruptcy if you don’t manage your shopping behavior carefully and keep track of those extra shipping fees. Overall, a very entertaining post!
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