It starts innocently enough, you’re just browsing. Maybe you’re killing time at the store or scrolling through your favorite online retailer while watching TV. No harm in looking, right? But before you know it, you’ve made a purchase and may not even fully understand why you did it.
Marketers know why, though. They’ve mastered the art of triggering your brain’s pleasure circuits with a chemical called dopamine. Most people believe the brain releases dopamine when pleasure is experienced, but that’s not exactly accurate. Dopamine is primarily released in anticipation of pleasure. Simply by browsing, you receive micro-dopamine hits with the promise of more if you take further action.
The limbic system of the brain is wired to favor short-term rewards over long-term benefits, so as dopamine is released it convinces you to do something it wants. The decision to spend becomes less about acquiring an item you need, and more about acquiring the rush of chemicals it needs.
While retailers are some of the best at manipulating these reward functions of the brain, they are far from the only ones. Casinos, for example, are dopamine factories. The flashing lights, exciting sounds, and unpredictable outcomes are all designed to keep you in a constant state of anticipation, chasing that promised rush of chemicals to the brain.
In a slightly different form, social media is designed to do the same thing. The desire for one more like, share, or comment can keep people glued to their phones, searching for that feeling of euphoria dopamine promises.
According to Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author of Dopamine Nation, our brains can become wired to crave dopamine hits. So much so that we chase the feeling more intensely over time, even as the activity itself brings less actual pleasure.
While adults are certainly affected by the steady flow of dopamine into their system, the impact may be even more serious for children, whose brains are still developing. Research increasingly points to concerns about how this overstimulation can disrupt key areas of brain development, especially those linked to attention, emotional regulation, and impulse control.
When it comes to shopping, knowing how dopamine works doesn’t mean you have to stop buying things altogether. It can just help you shop smarter. Once you understand what’s actually causing that surge of excitement, you can start to tell the difference between a smart choice and a spur-of-the-moment splurge. So, the next time something shiny catches your eye, take a breath. See if you still want it after some time has passed. The smartest purchases don’t come from dopamine-fueled excitement, but when there is clarity, intentionality, and a little separation between desire and decision.
(Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The advice is general in nature and not intended for specific situations)