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Stitcher“Tiktok made me do it.” Well, you’re not wrong because it’s designed that way. The promise of connection on social media often ends in loneliness. And loneliness comes with a cost. In this episode, we’ll explore the ways on how that vulnerability causes us to spend more without even realizing it.
The more we isolate ourselves, the more we rely on people we don’t actually know and who certainly do not know us.
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Parasocial relationships. These parasocial relationships don’t just superficially meet a deep need we have as humans but many influencers curate this emotional response to gain trust so they can more easily sell you things. That’s why it’s so important to have a spending plan. It’s the perfect friend for those of us who want to just track our money from our phones but don’t want to spend money on a budgeting app. It’s beautiful, has all the tabs you need to budget monthly, allows you to see your financial picture at a glance, and even has perks like an opportunity cost calculator. Head to frugalfriendspodcast.com/budget.
How Lonely Are We Feeling?
According to Oxford Academic, TikTok’s hashtag #Lonely has amassed 13.7 billion views. One study found that young adults who spend more than three hours a day on social media report fewer meaningful interpersonal interactions. Another linked heavy social media use to low self-esteem, particularly among adolescents.
Jill explains that loneliness has serious health consequences, including higher risks of depression, poor sleep, and reduced life satisfaction. The study also noted that none of the videos were created by healthcare professionals or organizations offering health information or support.
Loneliness Affects Our Finances, How?
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, relationships are an almost basic need. Jen and Jill explain how social media is costing us. They break down how short-term thinking, impaired cognitive resources, and parasocial relationships all influence overspending.
From stress-induced takeout to buying things out of habit, social media pushes temporary fixes that soothe anxiety in the moment but stray away at long-term goals. Research even shows how isolation and anxiety caused by online life make us more vulnerable to making poor financial choices. More than that, parasocial bonds blur the line between advice and advertising, making us spend to feel included.
Are There More Out There?
According to Jen and Jill, AI isn’t just the future, it’s the next trap. They explain how it could take today’s isolation problem and make it a thousand times worse. Once AI “friends” gain our trust, ads and sponsored advice will come unnoticed. The line between genuine support and marketing will blur, and companies will find even more ways to profit off our attention.
They aren’t saying AI and social media are the enemy, but we have to approach them with awareness and in making sure we maintain and keep real human relationships because that is what will protect us, ground us, and keep our money and mental health from being manipulated by algorithms.
How are you connecting with people offline?
Jill cultivates friendships by trying new things and putting dates in her calendar to remember things. Jen’s love language lies in scheduling text messages and remembering the smallest things! It means a lot.
Bill of The Week
Thank you Hannah for sharing your bill about daycare and finding an option for $77/wk!
Thanks so Much for Listening!
We love love love reading your kind reviews of our book Buy What You Love Without Going Broke and we especially loved this one from:
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The authors, Jen & Jill, have taken the meat and potatoes from their years of podcasting and put it into the perfect mix of anecdotes, tips, thought provoking questions and actionable steps.
As a fan of the podcast for years, I was pleased to see the nods to the fans. I’ve always said these two are the friends we all need- reaffirming that little voice you hear when you are spending money- does this fit with my values and goals- the book helps to shift you into a values based mindset.
Forever a fan of the Frugal Friends for the tools and motivation I needed to pay off my own debt and excited for more people to take charge of their spending in this way.
If you want to check out our monthly challenge community head to frugalfriendspodcast.com/club to see what challenge we have coming up next.
Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to reviews@frugalfriendspodcast.com. And don’t forget to share your favorite quote from the episode by using the hashtag #FrugalFriendsNote. 😉
