The majority of young people choose shopping as a form of entertainment over music and football. I believe this is a negative trend, which mainly originates from peer pressure and glorified consumerism on social media platforms.
With rising exposure to digital platforms, teenagers are now becoming obsessed with purchasing items endlessly, creating a culture where everyone feels pressured to keep up with trends. Instant gratification offered by online shopping platforms, compared to the progress-based dopamine tied to physical entertainment, makes the former option alluring to adolescents burnt out from both academic and social life. In this case, shopping allows them to relieve stress easily while also offering an opportunity to develop a sense of identity through a wide variety of accessories and clothing advertised across different media. This shift, in some cases, might foster creativity and uniqueness among teenagers, allowing them to customize and romanticize their daily lifestyle. Hence, despite having several disadvantages, it still reinforces individuality from a young age, while also alleviating the daily stress they receive from school and their social circle.
On the other hand, limited numbers of advantages do not justify the ongoing materialistic behavior that is glorified in many platforms. Social media influencers and marketers are making a loop where adolescents feel an urgency to purchase the products immediately. They are constantly lured to viral videos where content creators unbox the latest mobile phones and clothes, making them insecure for not having the same products. Marketers are aware of this inner impulse and create targeted advertisements where they rush the teenagers to buy their products. They achieve this urgency with the help of content where they create an illusion of a discount and a deal, taking advantage of young and still developing brains. Young people, unaware of these actions, spend their savings, which they can use for their health or education. Instead of investing their finances in their well-being and learning, they unconsciously spend huge amounts of money on products they actually do not need. Other than hindering young individuals’ wallets, shopping is mainly considered a sedentary activity, especially in the online form, where they spend hours attracted by the endless stream of products. Physical forms of entertainment, however, improve both cognitive and physical health of still-developing individuals. Football, for example, allows players to run for long periods of time, gradually enhancing the cardiovascular system by strengthening the respiratory system, ultimately leading to better well-being of young people.
In conclusion, although shopping may provide young people with temporary enjoyment and a sense of individuality, its negative effects on financial habits, physical health, and consumerist behavior make it a harmful form of entertainment overall.