How many times have you thought about buying something just because your friends have it? Because in this way you will be able to belong to the groupand be considered cooler? If you (like all of us) have done so too, then you have taken decisions based on, as it is called, peer pressure. Peer behavior often also affects the way we consume our money. But why are we so affected? Let’s analyze below the reasons:
We comply with the rules: Every group has rules. Some obvious and others not so much. However, in order to be members of it, we must accept and follow them. An example of compliance is when we dress up or buy gadgets to fit in with the group.
We are afraid of rejection: Sometimes a group does not accept or criticize the different behavior of someone outside the group by pushing them to behave or consume like them. We often hear such examples ranging from prompting to bullying. Depending on your self-confidence and your need to participate in this group, you can resist or give in to this pressure.
We seek acceptance: We often do or repeat something when our peers praise our behavior. If in a photo on social media we are given a lot of likes for the T-shirt we wear, the most likely thing is that next time we will buy from the same brand or something in the same style, thus shaping our consumer habits. Social media has taken the search for acceptance by peers to another level, through a hunt for likes, follows, shares, retweets, etc.
We imitate: Without thinking too much about it, we often behave in a way that we are more like the people we interact with. For example, we automatically shake our heads when others shake it in the affirmative, or we smile when someone else does. Automatic imitation can lead us to buy something just because we believe that this way we will fit in with others and they will accept us.
So how much are you influenced by your friends and peers? Or how much do you influence them? Do you follow trends, are you looking for your own style or both depending on the case? Ask yourself what’s in the back of your mind when you make a purchase and maybe learn even more about yourself and how you consume.
