Jamie Herron bought a latte at a brightly lit Gainesville cafe stocked with local art and knick-knacks. She was buying herself a “little coffee treat” for studying for the NCLEX nursing exam.
“I saw they had ube lattes and they looked really good, so I wanted to try something different,” Herron said.
And she’s not alone: Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are chock-full of young people buying “little treats.”
For as long as humans have been commerce, people have been spending money on things and experiences. Lipstick sales have risen during tough economic times, and characters on the hit TV show Parks and Recreation proudly encouraged viewers to “treat themselves.” But Gen Z’s latest treats have taken a unique turn.
Lupin Skelly is a research leader at Deloitte, a major international accounting firm, and her team have studied consumption habits around the world, surveying thousands of participants in multiple countries.
Younger generations are more likely to spend money on treating themselves than older generations: Men spend more on average per treat than women, with Gen Z men’s spending on treats increasing 25% year-over-year in 2024.
“The No. 1 reason people make these little splurges, across all generations, is because it’s comfort,” Skelly says. “Initially we thought it was about escapism, but we’re finding that people are actually looking for comfort shopping.”
Jeff Tomaino, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Florida who studies consumer judgment and decision-making, agrees. He says that when consumers buy snacks, they engage in something called “signaling.”
The first type of signaling is external, or as Tomaino explained, spending money just to prove to others that you can do it, but the second type is called self-signaling.
“We consume in the same way to show or tell ourselves something,” he said. “So that people can say, ‘Well, things are tough, but I’m OK, I have a good job, and if you have a good job, it’s okay to splurge on Starbucks.'”
Speaking of generational differences in signaling, Tomaino said younger generations like Gen Z place more importance on authenticity than older generations.
“When you make these types of purchases, I think it has a lot more to do with, ‘What are you telling the world?'” he said.
Skelly’s data backs this up: When younger generations were surveyed about why they buy treats, they cited more reasons than older generations, Skelly said.
“They tend to cite more motivations and cite things that align with their personal passions and hobbies,” she said. “And they also tend to cite that it will last.”
Benjamin Johnson, an associate professor of advertising at the University of Florida who studies the psychological processes behind persuasive messaging, makes sense of why this trend has become so popular.
“I think what makes this film particularly resonant is that it speaks to people’s personal needs, their desire to have some autonomy in their lives and to do something positive for themselves and others,” he said.
One reason for the trend’s popularity is its versatility. Johnson says people are using it in a variety of ways, from as a positive reinforcement for a job well done to comfort when they’re feeling down. Some videos use the phrase “a little treat” sarcastically or for essential things, like medically or legally mandated breaks from work.
“This could also be a criticism of the work environment and the economic and social stress people are feeling,” Johnson said.
Tomaino said social media has played a big role in normalizing buying sweets, with many of the videos participating in the trend telling viewers that it’s OK to indulge in small indulgences.
“Even if you feel like you don’t have money, it’s okay to spend money on these things because your mental state and feeling like you’re doing well takes precedence over your bank account,” he said.
But Jorge Luis Mengivar, an assistant professor of family and consumer economics at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said that’s not necessarily good logic for making financial decisions.
Menjivar said people who have forward-looking financial plans — those who keep the future in mind when making decisions — are more likely to achieve their financial goals.
“They’re thinking about what they want to achieve in the future, what the reward will be, and they’re willing to postpone gratification because they know that reward is going to be in the future,” he said.
He said young people are more present-oriented when it comes to financial planning and tend to spend money now because the future is not guaranteed.
Menjivar said there are pros and cons to both mindsets, and the key is to land somewhere in the middle, “where you can really have a present-oriented paradigm and reap the rewards that need to be celebrated every day.”
“But you also have to have goals for the future,” he says, “and have a future-oriented paradigm where you’re thinking intentionally and thoughtfully about what you want to achieve in the long term.”
Present orientation soared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with people spending more on big splurges like international trips and concert tickets, Menjivar said. But he said COVID-19 has also increased the importance of community.
“People are becoming more aware of what community capital and community assets are around them and how they can really leverage those to experience resilience when they experience a shock,” he said.
Menjivar said treats and rewards are important for maintaining happiness, but it’s also important to budget for them.
“I think we can be very intentional and mindful about the idea of celebrating without necessarily tying it to the consumption of a product or service,” he said.
Jamie Herron enjoyed a latte when he returned to a coffee shop earlier this month. While he doesn’t set aside money for self-indulgences, he thinks it doesn’t hurt to treat himself every now and again.
“I think it’s good to treat yourself every once in a while,” she said.
And while she thinks treats are valuable and can bring happiness, she acknowledges that they probably shouldn’t be done every day.
