LESSON
Spending Traps
Who is really in control of what you buy online?
Have you ever seen a video or post and suddenly found yourself wanting something you didn't know existed five seconds ago? That's not an accident. In this lesson, students examine how companies have always used media to influence consumer spending—and investigate what it means now that AI-powered social shopping features are turning every video in your feed into a potential ad. Using a real-life dilemma, students explore the psychology behind spending traps and debate whether platforms should have the power to target your brain every time you scroll.
Objectives
- Recognize how media has historically been used to influence consumer behavior
- Define spending traps and identify examples in digital and non-digital media
- Evaluate the ethics of social shopping features using the Take a Stand thinking routine
Vocabulary
Product Placement ·
Spending Traps ·
Social Shopping
Product Placement – when businesses pay to have their products shown or used in movies, TV, or other media so the product feels like a natural part of the story
Spending Traps – tactics used by companies, platforms, and people to make you buy things before you've had a chance to think
Social Shopping – when social media platforms integrate purchasing features directly into content, making it possible to buy products the moment you see them
Topics
Time
20 mins.
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