How Do Phones Change the Way We Shop?

Phones have become an essential part of everyday life, changing everything from how we chat with friends to how we shop. For Gen Z, this digital shift has blurred the lines between shopping and social media, creating a fast-paced, always-on fashion scene. Even though this generation cares about sustainability, the ease and excitement of mobile shopping often draw them toward fast fashion. This reveals what psychologists call the attitude-behaviour gap—the difference between what we believe in and what we actually do.

As mobile shopping becomes the norm, psychological insights like the Theory of Planned Behavior and our emotional connection to clothes can help explain how phones shape our buying habits. With ideas like a Digital Product Passport on the horizon, there’s hope for a more thoughtful and sustainable future.

Apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have transformed our phones into mobile shopping malls. Having grown up in the digital world, Generation Z is at the forefront of this shift. Influencers and ads make it possible to see trends and purchase them with just a few simple taps, creating a seamless, quick, and dopamine-high experience. 

However, this ease of purchasing tends to lead to fast fashion purchases. While many in Gen Z care about sustainability, the attitude-behaviour gap shows that their actions don’t always align with their values.

The gap refers to the difference between the purchase intention and purchase behaviours, where one may want to shop sustainably but follows through with unsustainable purchases. The immediacy and convenience of mobile shopping make it challenging to follow through on sustainable attitudes, especially if our peers promote these items. 

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) offers insights into why sustainable intentions often fall short. The theory suggests that behaviour is influenced by three factors: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. 

For Gen Z, the attitude toward sustainable fashion is positive. They care about the environment and want to shop responsibly, and most even have the tools and knowledge of how to do so. However, social media can make fast fashion hard to resist. Social media constantly pushes the latest trends, creating pressure to keep up and fit in, and we, as social beings, care a lot about fitting in with our peers. 

Perceived behavioural control also plays a role; many feel that sustainable options are expensive, inaccessible, or simply not their responsibility. The ease and affordability of fast fashion, combined with the ability to shop on mobile devices at any time, often overpowers the desire to shop sustainably.

The digital age brings digital solutions. A newly developed tool, Digital Product Passports (DPPs), could make a difference, and brands are already developing them. These ‘passports’ provide detailed information about a product’s life cycle, from how and where it was produced to the garment’s end of life, and more useful insights to it’s environmental impact. The passports are set to be displayed on the product page or on the care label, with the information just a click or two away. 

For Gen Z, DPPs integrate seamlessly into the mobile shopping experience. By offering this simple level of transparency, they empower consumers to make more informed, sustainable choices which align with their values and help mitigate the attitude-behaviour gap. 

Building an emotional connection with your clothing also encourages more sustainable fashion consumption. People who value their clothes are more likely to repair and reuse them, resulting in a slower fashion cycle. 

Whilst we recognise that social media is a tool for fast-fashion companies, it also provides a hub focused on slow fashion, thrifting, and even DIY clothing. Influencers who promote these practices encourage consumers to rethink their relationship with their wardrobes, cultivating emotional connections that can lead to more sustainable behaviours. 

Clothing that had been carefully crafted, repaired or found in a charity shop, offer a deeper connection than the fast, dopamine-induced purchase online. 

This connection fuels a deeper psychological need for identity and self-expression. By curating wardrobes that reflect personal stories and values, we can shift focus away from fast fashion and toward thoughtful and sustainable consumption.

Phones have undoubtedly transformed how we shop, making it faster and easier, but convenience can come at a high cost to our planet. The attitude-behaviour gap shows how difficult it is to align actions with values, especially in a world driven by mobile technology and fast-paced consumption. 

The Theory of Planned Behaviour highlights the pressures and perceived barriers contributing to this gap. Looking forward, sustainable attitudes such as repairing, re-wear and recycling offer a ticket to a higher connection with our clothing, and the Digital Product Passports provide an informed purchase decision for those that remain online.