The term doom spending has recently been widely used to describe the\nhabit of spending money as an escape from stress, anxiety, or\nuncertainty about the future. This phenomenon is often associated with\nGen Z, who live amid the ease of digital transactions and exposure to\nsocial media. Doom spending is not merely a wasteful habit, but a\nconsumptive behaviour that can emerge as an emotional response when\nsomeone feels their financial condition or future is uncertain.<\/p>\n
In simple terms, doom spending is the behaviour of buying goods or\nusing money impulsively because a person feels it is better to enjoy\nmoney now than to worry about the future. The term became popular on\nsocial media and has since been widely used in discussions about the\nfinancial habits of young people. This behaviour can include buying\nitems that are not actually needed, frequently shopping online, eating\nout excessively, travelling, or making purchases as a form of\nself-reward.<\/p>\n
Thus, a person does not always engage in doom spending because they\nhave a lot of money. On the contrary, anxiety about economic conditions\ncan actually be one of the triggers. One factor related to doom spending\nis uncertainty about economic conditions and the future. Social media\ncan also reinforce the urge because users constantly see other people\u2019s\nlifestyles, trends, and consumptive activities.<\/p>\n
Research on doom spending among Gen Z in Indonesia shows that income,\nsocial media, and lifestyle are factors related to the behaviour. The\nstudy involved 384 Gen Z respondents in the city of Tegal. Psychologists\nalso assess that social pressure, insecurity, and exposure to shopping\nprompts from influencers can make someone buy goods that are not yet\nactually needed.<\/p>\n
Worries about money are indeed a fairly prominent issue among the\nyounger generation. The Deloitte 2025 survey of Gen Z and millennials\nfound that more than 80 percent of respondents cited day-to-day\nfinancial conditions and future finances as factors contributing to\nstress or anxiety. As many as 48 percent of Gen Z in the survey also\nsaid they did not feel financially secure in 2025.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a 2025 Bank of America study of 915 Gen Z respondents in\nthe United States showed that 33 percent admitted to experiencing\nfinancial stress. Of that group, 52 percent cited economic instability\nas one of the causes. However, these data do not mean that all Gen Z\nengage in doom spending. In fact, the Bank of America survey showed that\n72 percent of Gen Z respondents took steps to improve their financial\nhealth in the past 12 months.<\/p>\n
Doom spending behaviour can be seen in a number of habits, including\nbuying goods spontaneously when stressed or anxious, shopping as a way\nto improve one\u2019s mood, buying items that are not actually needed,\nprioritising present enjoyment over long-term financial needs,\ncontinuing to shop even when aware that one\u2019s financial condition is\nunhealthy, and using payment facilities such as paylater to fulfil\nconsumptive desires. The ease of digital transactions can make such\nbehaviour even easier to carry out. Research on the doom spending\nphenomenon in Indonesia also links it to the development of social media\nand online shopping platforms.<\/p>\n
Not every enjoyable purchase can be called doom spending. Buying\nclothes, food, or taking a trip after making a budget and ensuring that\nprimary needs have been met is part of normal financial management.\nProblems arise when someone uses shopping as an emotional escape and\ndoes so repeatedly without considering their financial capacity. In such\nconditions, the pleasure obtained from shopping can turn into a problem\nwhen bills pile up or savings continue to shrink.<\/p>\n
If done continuously, doom spending can make one\u2019s financial\ncondition unhealthy. Unplanned spending can reduce a person\u2019s ability to\nsave, pay routine expenses, or prepare an emergency fund. Apart from\nfinancial problems, the behaviour can also form an emotional cycle. A\nperson feels stressed, then shops to obtain temporary pleasure. After\nrealising that their spending is too large, feelings of guilt or anxiety\nreturn, which can then encourage similar behaviour.<\/p>\n
Therefore, doom spending should not be seen only as a matter of being\nwasteful, but also as behaviour that can be related to psychological\nconditions and financial pressure. There are a number of simple steps\nthat can be taken to reduce impulsive shopping habits. First,\ndistinguish between needs and wants before making a transaction. Second,\nset a monthly spending limit for entertainment or self-reward purposes.\nThird, pause before buying unplanned items. For example, wait a few\nhours or one day before making payment. This can help a person confirm\nwhether the item is truly needed or was only bought due to a momentary\nimpulse. Fourth, reduce exposure to content that constantly encourages\nconsumption if social media is one of the triggers. Finally, continue to\nprioritise emergency funds, savings, and financial obligations before\nusing money for consumptive purposes.<\/p>\n
In the end, doom spending is not a term for labelling all of Gen Z as\na wasteful generation. The phenomenon is more accurately understood as a\nconsumption pattern that can emerge when emotional pressure, financial\nuncertainty, and the ease of shopping converge.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/understanding-the-term-doom-spending-among-gen-z-1787482394", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }