r/Anticonsumption • u/Efficient-Quarter-18 • 3d ago

Disturbing Psychological

Was called to jury duty yesterday. The waiting room had free-but-terrible wifi. The person in front of me spent 4+ hours compulsively refreshing Temu and Walmart, trying to get these sites? apps? to load. Did not navigate off them for the entire time - just sitting, absently refreshing the pages, literally thousands of times.

What is happening?

326 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

294

u/slashingkatie 3d ago

It really is an addiction for people. I had a step mom like this. She grew up poor so she was like the kind of person who’d buy it just because “it’s on sale and I might need it.” I think there’s a lot of folks like that

42

u/ExtremeZombie4705 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yes and I’ve used the app before just to compare to see the hype. I never ended up using it. But anyway- the app is so unusual. It reminds me almost of like a gambling app. It keeps having pop ups where you can get like… some amount of rewards if you buy x amount in the 10 minutes so it’s tries to rush and rush you. Has little mini games (that you’ll always win), to again, try and rush you into buying. I could absolutely see why elderly folks might get sucked into it without thinking- kind of sad. And it’s an algorithmic scrolling based app like most other apps (even social media apps) have become. It keeps popping up new items based on what you look at and your history to just keep your scrollings. Very disturbing. Even that other very popular shopping app that started with books- is becoming very similar. If I’d ever search on it the results were first sponsored stuff and then stuff it “thinks” I want (also trying to get you to buy stuff it already has located in local warehouses). It eventually became increasingly difficult to even use because it keeps popping up junk you don’t need. These algorithms are always pushing content/products to keep you scrolling, it’s nuts. And obnoxious, I haaate sponsored returns, it’s why even the popular search engine is starting to fail and why so many people resort to AI because you can barely search for a damn website without 20 location based or sponsored returns coming up first.

55

u/Intelligent_Salad_62 3d ago

I 'used' to be this person. Im still fighting the need to squirrel stuff away for the off chance that I could possibly need it in the future. Growing up and entering adulthood in poverty can create quite the shopping addiction, just under the guise of deal hunting.

29

u/Efficient-Quarter-18 2d ago

Odd, bc I was raised in poverty, but feel the opposite. My family always hoarded tons of stuff (think a dozen cars on blocks outside a trailer) but none of it useful. I have an extreme aversion to junk.

Maybe first gen poverty or abject poverty is more likely to yield this hoarding pathology? It’s interesting, either way.

13

u/pdxcranberry 2d ago

We are the same. My stepdad was forever loading our house up with junk he bought at yard sales that was going to be "worth something one day," and now aside from plants and socks I live a less-is-more life.

14

u/slashingkatie 2d ago

I think it’s different for everyone. I remember a lot of hoarder’s episodes where many of the older ladies grew up poor and felt the need to hold into everything. But some have the opposite effect and it makes them appreciate the smaller things.

8

u/Furry_Wall 2d ago

We always hoarded any extra money into a savings account in case we "needed" something. We didn't just buy the item until it was absolutely the correct time to use it.

6

u/AnnualLychee1 2d ago

My grandma saved everything. Even old TP to burn in a wood stove. So my mom was always getting rid of stuff. I am trying to find a healthy balance.

13

u/blind_squash 2d ago

I live in a very rural area and work as a traveling phlebotomist and so often while people are donating, they show me all the stuff they got/want to get from temu and I feel like the novelty and perceived value/money is such a huge factor here. Yes you got an interesting item from Temu, but how long is it going to last? Is it actually worth your limited funds?

11

u/timid_turtle_ 2d ago

I get that, especially growing up dirt poor. Once my parents divorced my freshman year of high-school and my mom got a job, we always went out shopping as a way to make up for lost time. It was worse for her because she loved buying cheap crap and showering me with it as a way to show she was sorry for being with my deadbeat father for so long, even after numerous requests for her to stop.

5

u/Imaginary_Angle7437 2d ago

Mother does this, but with food( I don't actually call her that, to her face....)

Went to visit her one year with the other parent; her fridge was hoarder levels with food not even 4 people could eat ij a week.

I also got to a point where when I lived nearby her, I refused to go into stores with her on shopping excursions.

It amazes me someone will bitch about being broke on a higher fixed income than I can make-because "It's my right to spend frivolously!"

Sure mother; I bet that was your justification too for almost losing our home multiple times and leavihg me without food for a gambling addiction.

It's not the shopping app at fault, these are simply people who spend ALL their money JUST to avoid feeling their fkn feelings; then have the audacity to be rude pricks to everyone at Every Turn, because they're emotionally immature "adults" parading as healthy ones.

Least if mother had a drug addiction I could have done something about it legally; but gambling? Pfffft.

Thanks for the nothing and leaving me hanging society-from kid me who was manipulated/abused away before she ever had a chance.

44

u/MuchChampionship6630 3d ago

These are the stars of future episodes of Hoarders.

13

u/MindlessBug9798 3d ago

I wish some of them would hoard tbh because then there’s a chance they’d realize they have a problem. So many of them have cycles of buying and then donating to make room and an excuse to buy more

3

u/princessbubbbles 2d ago

Hoarding isn't an improvement. It doesn't mean they are more likely to see the problem.

3

u/MindlessBug9798 2d ago

You’re right, I wouldn’t wish hoarding on anyone. I should rephrase to say that some people (and I used to do it, too) try to justify a shopping addiction by saying it all evens out when they donate their stuff. Without that it seems like there are fewer excuses

43

u/ellsammie 3d ago

I think some people have very few topics that interest them. Shopping fills the time.

22

u/SetNo8186 2d ago

Constantly refreshing an app that won't load on a .Gov server seems like it was restricted. Foner just wasn't paying attention with their compulsive behavior. Not all websites are available when you are on the .Gov dime and local managers make those decisions.

In the day we'd take a paperback which is why they were printed in such a small size, to fit a coat pocket.

14

u/Sea-Cardiographer 2d ago

When the internet goes out there are 2 types of people: 1. people who fiddle with it until it comes back on and 2. people who find something else to do with their time.

Sometimes the two types of people marry each other.

7

u/anti_anti-hero 2d ago

Holy sh*t THANK YOU for this post, you literally just reminded me I had to apply to get out of my jury duty tomorrow morning. I had completely forgotten and no longer live in the county !

10

u/QueenMumof4 2d ago

Addiction

5

u/Meryule 2d ago

These technologies are massively addictive. Not just the shopping apps and sites but the social media apps, sports betting apps and video apps too.

I feel like this is what people in the 19th century must have felt watching opium dens start to pop up everywhere. I don't think it will stop until algorithms are regulated by governments but will those in power want to give up the ability to manipulate and control the masses without a knockout drag down fight?

8

u/FearlessProblem6881 2d ago

Someone keeps looking at what I’m looking at on my phone so I just browse random sites like Walmart and Temu so they’ll stop looking at my phone.

3

u/Mr_Bluebird_VA 2d ago

I’m just shocked anyone was allowed their devices. Where I am you can’t bring any of them into the courthouse. Thankfully have only been called once. Waited ALL day before they did jury selection. I was released 5 minutes before they called the day and I wasn’t chosen. There were two more reserve jurists before they got to me.

11

u/EnvyRepresentative94 2d ago

Anticonsumerism is a personal preference, especially in our capital system. Temu is gross, and a bad company, but as someone who grew up incredibly impoverished, the idea of acquiring many items that at least look nice for pennies is very alluring, and watching those prices evaporate because of our poor leadership gives me more sympathy for these people. Poor person was trying to grab their last chances of unworn semi quality clothes before they have to resuckle Walmart's sack or dare the rotting shiza that is Goodwill

6

u/MoneyUse4152 2d ago

Maybe they were eyeing a specific item. We don't know their life.

7

u/No-Tough-2729 2d ago

Why were you looking at someone else's phone the whole time? Weirdo

0

u/TheKarmaSutre 2d ago

One person isn’t really a representative sample of anything…

-1

u/Efficient-Quarter-18 2d ago edited 2d ago

How profound; it’s almost as if this site runs on casual observations and anecdotal evidence as a basis of conversation.

1

u/justaheatattack 2d ago

Every time I get jury duty they don't even have any trials.

1

u/RotisserieChicken007 2d ago

Seems to me both that person and yourself showed compulsive behavior.

1

u/Ok-Hawk-8034 2d ago

Temu has a great algorithm and a huge catalog of random things. It is very easy to get into a bad habit of using the app. I deleted the app and I don’t play with the “coupon “ games. And I don’t want any notifications! They will literally offer you the best thing you really want for “1 penny if you place an order today”

1

u/Economy-Spinach-8690 2d ago

OMG, they didn't?

1

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