With the rise of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, impulse buying has become a common way to cope with anxiety and depression. Experts warn that this practice yields fleeting pleasure followed by guilt and financial repercussions. Up to 7% of the Spanish population engages in compulsive shopping, with a 20-30% increase in related psychological consultations over the last three years.
The phenomenon of compulsive shopping has gained momentum in Spain, driven by events like Black Friday, which stretches into a full month of deals, followed by Cyber Monday and holiday purchases. The ease of online commerce, available 24/7, enables buys from the sofa, particularly at night due to 'bedtime procrastination,' a deliberate delay in sleep to claim personal time, as explained by Mariola Fernández, psychology professor at Universidad Europea. During that time, people browse social media and online stores instead of resting.
In its first year in Spain (2025), TikTok Shop reports over 12,000 active stores, 15,000 monthly LIVE Shopping sessions (about 500 daily), and a fourfold increase in sales via short videos with purchase links between April and September. Lara Santos, a thirty-something, admits filling her Zara cart inspired by influencer Rocío Osorno, though she accumulates unused items from the previous Black Friday, acknowledging she doesn't need half of what she buys.
A study on university students links these purchases to impulsivity, deficits in emotional regulation, and hoarding. 'Buying creates an expectation of satisfaction, but if it's brief, it leads to more purchases,' states Fernández, who sees unopened items as a sign of emotional rather than practical motivation. María Bernardo, psychologist at Top Doctors, notes that this behavioral addiction relieves anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and emptiness, releasing dopamine for momentary pleasure that the brain links to relief, worsening during periods like Christmas.
The typical profile is women aged 25 to 45, urban, active on social media, and highly self-demanding, though the gender gap is narrowing. Platforms amplify FOMO (fear of missing out), activating the reward system. Studies, such as one from 2012 in Open Journal of Psychiatry, suggest attempts to repair mood, but without lasting effects.
The environmental impact is significant: garments with mixed fibers are hard to recycle and are shipped to other countries, according to Carolina Álvarez-Ossorio of Ecoalf. Paula González of Blue Bamboo encourages meditating instead of buying, with free anti-Black Friday challenges. Experts like Víctor Amat liken shopping to addictions evoking childhood emotions, but it breeds subsequent guilt, per María Quevedo of Clínica RECAL.
To curb impulses, they recommend shopping lists, delaying 48 hours, reviewing past buys, deleting apps, scrutinizing influencers, managing finances, choosing calming activities, and seeking therapy if distress persists.