Wait... Why Do I Suddenly Want That?

You are watching a video.

Someone shows a brand-new pair of sneakers.

They look amazing. The person says they wear them all the time.

A minute ago, you were not thinking about new sneakers at all.

Now you are thinking:

I WANT THOSE.

What changed?

You may have just learned about something new. Or something you saw may have made you want it more than you did before.

That happens to kids and adults.

Videos, advertisements, influencers, friends, trends and even words like ONLY TODAY can affect what gets our attention and what starts to feel exciting.

SOMETIMES A WANT STARTS AFTER SOMETHING GETS YOUR ATTENTION.

This lesson will help you notice when that happens.

The goal is not to stop liking things. The goal is to understand what may be influencing you before you decide what to do with your money.

First: What Is Advertising?

Advertising is a message made to get people interested in a product, service, place or idea.

A short word for an advertisement is ad.

A company might want you to notice a new game, ask for a snack, download an app or choose its shoes instead of another pair.

Advertising can show up in many places:

• Videos
• Apps and games
• Websites
• Social media
• Television
• Stores
• Signs
• Packages
• Posts from creators or influencers

Some advertising is easy to spot. You know right away that someone is trying to sell something.

Other advertising can look a lot like the regular videos, posts or games around it.

LEARNING TO NOTICE WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING IS A MONEY SKILL.

Why Can Seeing Something Create a New Want?

Think about something you were not thinking about five minutes ago.

Then you see it in a video.

Now you know it exists. You see what it looks like. You may see someone having fun with it. You may start imagining what it would be like to own it.

That can turn something you were not thinking about into something you suddenly want.

Advertising often tries to make a product easy to notice, easy to remember and exciting to think about.

Seeing the same product more than once can also make it easier to remember.

ASK YOURSELF: DID I WANT THIS BEFORE I SAW IT?

There is no wrong answer.

Maybe you already wanted it. Maybe you just discovered something useful. Maybe the video created a brand-new want.

The important part is noticing where the feeling started.

Why Does Everything Look So Good?

A company usually wants its product to look interesting, useful, fun or exciting.

A toy video may show the most exciting part of playing with it.

A food commercial may show the food looking fresh and delicious.

A shoe video may show someone running, playing sports or looking confident.

That does not mean the product is bad or that the video is lying.

It means the message is showing you reasons to be interested.

WHAT I SEE IS INFORMATION. IT IS NOT MY DECISION YET.

You can enjoy the video and still remember that you may not be seeing every detail about the product.

That little bit of distance helps you think for yourself.

Meet Sofia

Sofia is 10 years old.

She has $35 from birthday money and a few small jobs she did at home.

One afternoon, she is watching videos on a tablet.

A creator she likes shows a bright new water bottle with a straw and stickers.

The creator says it is their new favorite bottle and shows it several times in the video.

Sofia looks up the bottle.

$28

Suddenly, Sofia really wants it.

She walks into the kitchen and shows her mom.

Her mom asks one question:

WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT BUYING A WATER BOTTLE BEFORE YOU SAW THAT VIDEO?

Sofia stops.

No. She was not.

Her bottle at home still works, and she had not been planning to replace it.

That does not mean Sofia is not allowed to buy the new bottle.

It means she has learned something about the choice:

THE WANT STARTED AFTER SHE SAW THE PRODUCT.

Now Sofia can think about the product knowing that the video may have influenced how strongly she wants it.

That is the skill: notice the influence first. Then make your own choice.

What Is an Influencer?

An influencer is a person who creates content online and has people who watch or follow what they share.

Influencers may make videos or posts about games, sports, clothes, food, toys, technology, books or almost anything else.

Sometimes an influencer talks about a product simply because they like it.

Other times, a company has a connection with the influencer.

The company might pay the influencer, give them a free product, give them a discount or provide something else of value.

If the influencer then talks about that brand or product, the connection should be made clear. That content may be sponsored advertising.

A PERSON YOU LIKE CAN ALSO BE PART OF AN ADVERTISEMENT.

How Can I Tell if Something Is Sponsored?

Sponsored content should make the relationship with the company clear.

You might see or hear words such as:

• Ad
• Sponsored
• Paid partnership
• This video is sponsored by...
• #ad

Those words are clues that the creator has a connection with the company or product.

If a creator received something of value from a brand, that relationship matters because it can help viewers understand the recommendation.

A sponsored post does not automatically mean the creator dislikes the product.

They may really like it.

The important thing is that you know about the connection.

KNOWING WHO IS BEHIND THE MESSAGE HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE.

Is Every Product Video an Advertisement?

No.

Someone can show a game, restaurant, shoe or toy simply because they enjoy it.

Not every recommendation is paid.

That is why you are learning to look for clues instead of assuming that every post is an advertisement.

You can ask:

• Does the video say sponsored, ad or paid partnership?
• Does the creator say a company gave them the product?
• Is the creator giving a special link or code and explaining a company connection?
• Does this feel like someone is trying to get me to buy, download or ask for something?

THE GOAL IS NOT TO DISTRUST EVERYTHING. THE GOAL IS TO NOTICE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT.

Why Does It Feel Like I Have to Get It Right Now?

Sometimes the product is not the only thing getting your attention.

The words around it can make the choice feel urgent.

You may see:

• SALE ENDS TONIGHT!
• ONLY 2 LEFT!
• LIMITED EDITION!
• BUY NOW!
• DON'T MISS OUT!

Messages like these can make you feel like you need to decide fast.

That feeling is called urgency.

Sometimes a sale really does end. Sometimes a product really is limited.

But the important money skill is noticing the feeling:

AM I EXCITED ABOUT THE PRODUCT, OR AM I ALSO AFRAID I WILL MISS MY CHANCE?

Once you notice the rush, you can separate the feeling from the decision.

You do not have to pretend the excitement is not there. You just know what may be pushing it.

What if It Feels Like Everyone Has It?

Ads and influencers are not the only things that can affect what you want.

Friends, classmates and trends can too.

You may see the same shoes at school, then see them again in videos, then hear people talking about them.

Soon it can feel like everyone has them.

Wanting something because it is popular does not make you silly or bad with money.

It simply means popularity may be part of what is influencing the want.

POPULAR CAN CHANGE WHAT GETS MY ATTENTION. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE MY CHOICE.

What if I Keep Seeing the Same Thing?

Sometimes you see a product once and forget about it.

Other times, you see it in a video, then in another video, then in a game, then at a store.

The more often you notice something, the easier it may be to remember it.

That can make the product feel more familiar and keep it on your mind.

So if you suddenly feel like a product is everywhere, ask:

DO I WANT IT MORE BECAUSE I KEEP SEEING IT?

So What Do I Do With the Want?

First, do not shame yourself for wanting something.

Wanting things is normal.

This article is not teaching you that advertisements are bad or that you should never buy something you saw online.

It is teaching you to separate two moments:

MOMENT 1: SOMETHING MAKES ME WANT IT.

MOMENT 2: I DECIDE WHAT I WANT TO DO ABOUT IT.

Those moments do not have to be the same thing.

Once you understand what may be influencing you, you can use the other money skills you are learning: check the price, think about your plan, think about your goals and decide whether the purchase makes sense for you.

THE FEELING CAN SHOW UP FAST. THE DECISION CAN STILL BE YOURS.

The TaxFunders 'Why Do I Want It?' Check

SPOT

What am I seeing? Is someone showing or promoting a product?

NAME

Is this an advertisement, sponsored content, a trend or a regular recommendation?

NOTICE

Did I want this before I saw it? What changed?

CHECK

Is anything making the product feel urgent, popular or hard to miss?

CHOOSE

Now that I understand the influence, what do I want to do?

SPOT -> NAME -> NOTICE -> CHECK -> CHOOSE

You are not trying to become impossible to influence. Nobody is.

You are learning to recognize influence so you can think more clearly about your money.

Let's Practice

Example 1

A creator says, 'Thanks to GameBox for sponsoring this video,' and then shows a new game.

What do you know?

THE VIDEO HAS A SPONSOR CONNECTION.

That does not tell you whether the game is good or bad. It tells you that the company is connected to the promotion.

Example 2

You had never thought about buying a certain backpack. Then you see it in three videos this week and start wanting it.

What could you notice?

THE WANT MAY HAVE STARTED OR GROWN AFTER I KEPT SEEING THE BACKPACK.

Example 3

A shoe website says, 'ONLY 30 MINUTES LEFT!'

What may be affecting the feeling?

URGENCY.

The message may be making the choice feel like it has to happen right away.

Example 4

Several kids at school have the same water bottle. Your favorite creator has one too. Now you want one.

What may be influencing you?

POPULARITY, PEOPLE I KNOW AND PEOPLE I WATCH MAY ALL BE PART OF THE WANT.

Example 5

You see a sponsored video about a board game. You notice the sponsorship, learn more about the game and still decide you would enjoy it.

Did you fail the lesson?

NO.

The goal is not to reject every advertised product. The goal is to understand what influenced you and then make your own choice.

Your Turn: What Is Influencing the Want?

Imagine you suddenly want a $40 pair of headphones after watching several videos about them.

Before deciding what to do, what could you notice?

• Did I want headphones before I saw these videos?
• Were any of the videos sponsored?
• Did a creator I like recommend them?
• Have I been seeing the same headphones again and again?
• Is there a message making me feel rushed?
• Do they seem important because lots of people have them?

These questions do not make the choice for you.

They help you understand the choice before you make it.

Can You Explain It?

Imagine someone asks:

'Why can I suddenly want something after I see it in a video?'

Could you explain it?

You might say:

'Seeing a product can get my attention and make me start thinking about owning it. Advertising, influencers, urgency and popularity can all affect how much I want something. I can notice that influence before I decide what to do.'

If you can explain that in your own words, you understand the lesson.

Money Starts Early

You are going to see products everywhere as you grow up.

Some will be things you already know. Some will be completely new. Some will be shown by people you like and trust.

And sometimes you will go from not thinking about something at all to really wanting it in just a few minutes.

That does not mean something is wrong with you.

It means your attention was caught.

The money skill is learning to notice what happened next.

WAIT... WHY DO I SUDDENLY WANT THAT?

Maybe it was the product itself.

Maybe it was an advertisement.

Maybe it was an influencer.

Maybe it was a trend.

Maybe it was the feeling that you had to act fast.

Maybe several of those things happened together.

SPOT THE INFLUENCE BEFORE YOU MAKE THE CHOICE.

That is how you become more aware of what is shaping your wants. It also helps you become more confident about making your own money decisions.

MONEY STARTS EARLY

Education First. Always.