The mistake we all make when shopping online – and how to stop it in time

Have you ever searched Google for a pair of sneakers, and within minutes they appeared in your feed alongside a "limited time" discount and a recommendation for a jacket to complete the look? This has long been more than just digital advertising shown to everyone in the same way. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into our shopping experience, learning our preferences and habits, and helping advertisers decide which marketing message will be most persuasive for us.

On one hand, it makes shopping more convenient and faster, but on the other hand, it can also cause us to buy much more than we actually need. So how do we enjoy the convenience without falling into the trap of unnecessary purchases?

Get to know your digital profile

In the past, mass marketing presented the exact same message to everyone. Today, AI is capable of building a detailed profile based on your interests and behavior online. These systems track what you searched for, what you clicked on, and even what you left in your digital shopping cart without purchasing, and update recommendations accordingly.

On shopping sites, this will manifest in recommendations for products related to your last search, and on social networks, you will see sponsored posts that very much resemble content that has already caught your attention. This personalization can be very useful and save time, but it also makes advertising much more adaptable and persuasive.

When a recommendation feels like friendly advice

Digital persuasion works mainly because it saves us mental effort. Instead of comparing hundreds of different options, we get a short and focused list that feels super relevant to us. Elements like familiarity, customer reviews, or urgency messages like "only two items left in stock" create an immediate sense of urgency for us.

Of course, AI did not invent these methods. One-click payment, limited-time offers, and personalized recommendations have existed for years. The big change that AI brings with it is the speed and accuracy with which companies can learn which combination of messages will work best on each and every one of us. Studies show that such "dark design patterns" online do indeed lead to a small but measurable increase in impulsive purchases.

Pay attention to advertisements disguised as conversation

This influence sometimes becomes even harder to identify, especially when we use AI-based chatbots. A controlled experiment from 2025, in which 179 participants took part, found that many people had difficulty identifying advertisements embedded within conversations with chatbots, and often interpreted marketing content as helpful advice rather than an advertisement.

A new study, which has not yet undergone peer review and shared 2,012 participants, reached a similar conclusion. The researchers found that AI directed users to sponsored books much more frequently than regular search engines, while most users did not notice this marketing influence at all.

Don't rush to click the purchase button

The problem is not that AI takes away our freedom of choice, but that it significantly shortens the time that passes between the moment we desire a product and the moment we stop to think if we really need it. The recommendation arrives at exactly the right second, perhaps with a small discount or a reminder that the stock is about to run out, and the decision becomes almost automatic.

These automatic purchases have a price, and not only in our bank account but also for the environment. Every unnecessary item we buy requires raw materials, production, packaging, and shipping. In Europe, for example, about 20% of fashion clothing purchased online is returned to stores, and about 22% to 43% of these returned clothes are completely destroyed.

Adopt the principle of mindful consumption

One of the effective ways to deal with digital temptations is to adopt habits of mindful consumption. Instead of buying on "autopilot," this approach encourages us to be more aware of the factors that influence our decisions, and to stop for a moment to check if the purchase meets a real need or if it is a well-timed temptation.

A 2025 study found that people with a high level of mindfulness as a personality trait tended to report lower levels of impulsive purchases in general. However, the same study showed that a short and focused mindfulness exercise did not reduce the immediate urge to buy or the purchasing behavior at that moment. This means that awareness is not a magic button that you turn on in one moment, but a habit that must be cultivated.

Add some friction to the shopping process

Mindful consumption is based on three simple principles: pay attention to what influences our decisions, think about the broad consequences of what we buy, and know how to recognize when we have enough. There is no need to do long meditation before buying shoes; psychologist Ellen Langer argues that mindfulness can be expressed simply in active attention to what is happening around us and in challenging familiar habits.

In practice, this means stopping the automatic purchase and creating small moments of intentional friction. Before you confirm an unplanned purchase, it is worth asking yourself three simple questions:

1. Did I want this item even before I saw the recommendation for it?

2. What need is it really going to fulfill for me?

3. How often will I actually use it?

Ultimately, technology is here to stay and make our lives easier, but control over the wallet remains in our hands. Sometimes, all it takes to avoid an unnecessary purchase is to simply take a deep breath, wait a few minutes, and give the impulsive decision a little time to calm down.