Following the news in 2026 is a dispiriting exercise. Job-market turmoil, rising inflation, international conflicts — the list goes on. Managing the stress that a moment like this generates is anything but easy.
To cope, a lot of people are reaching for the same outlet: buying more online. The phenomenon has recently been given a name — doom spending — and it hits millennials and Gen Z especially hard.
The definition of doom spending
Doom spending — which we might translate into plain terms as «catastrophe-driven spending» — is the mechanism that pushes people to buy compulsively precisely when the future looks darkest and most uncertain.
It’s a form of self-consolation meant to dial down anxiety, and it closely mirrors the compulsive shopping people do when they feel sad. The only difference is the trigger: with doom spending, it’s pessimism about what lies ahead.
When the term was coined, and who is most affected
The term was first defined a few years ago by a survey from Credit Karma, a US company that specializes in consumer-market research. Its findings showed that nearly 30% of Americans «treat themselves» to compulsive purchases when they feel afraid of the future.
The breakdown by gender and age is telling. Men appear more prone to this «catastrophe-spending syndrome» than women (33% versus 21%), while 43% of millennials and 35% of Gen Z said they experience it.
How to break the doom-spending cycle
If you recognize yourself in this pattern, there’s good news: a few strategies can help you rein it in and protect your savings for the purchases that actually matter.
The first is simply becoming aware of the emotional levers that prompt you to buy. We are not what we own, and even in the most difficult and uncertain moments there are plenty of other ways — almost always free — to lower anxiety, feel rewarded, and take care of yourself.
On the strictly financial side, a good habit is to start keeping a record of your monthly spending. Seeing exactly how much you’ve spent can nudge you toward buying in moderation and deleting your accounts on the platforms where you shop most often.
Another useful trick is learning to stall — waiting a day or two before completing an online purchase. That pause gives you the room to think calmly about whether you really need the item, or, if you truly can’t do without it, to hunt for a better price.
Adopting these habits carries an indirect benefit, too. The self-awareness that comes with managing your own spending noticeably improves self-esteem and lifts how you regard yourself — a crucial step toward resisting the temptation of doom spending.
Editor’s note
This article was originally published in Italian on money.it by Andrea Fabbri on August 14, 2026 as «Cos’è il doom spending e perché spendiamo di più quando le notizie fanno paura». It has been translated and adapted for an international audience by the Money.it International desk.
