Published on 6/15/2026
A German study revealed that influencers on social media platforms are playing an increasing role in directing online shopping behavior among children and teenagers, amid warnings of growing consumption patterns that may turn into problematic behavior among some age groups.
According to a special analysis on media addiction conducted by the German health insurance company Duck Gesundheit in cooperation with the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 47% of boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 17 learn about products through advertisements on social media platforms, while 40% of them learn about them through recommendations from influencers.
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The results of the study highlight the growing influence of the influencer economy on the decisions of young consumers, at a time when social media platforms increasingly rely on targeted ads and algorithms capable of targeting users according to their interests and digital behavior.
The study showed that the strong presence of influencers and advertisements directed by algorithms may take a worrying turn, as problematic behavior related to online purchasing was observed in 1.2% of the children and adolescents included in the study.
According to the results, the percentage of this problematic behavior among girls is 1.3%, compared to 1% among boys.
Problematic behavior refers to compulsive or excessive online purchasing and unhealthy or undisciplined shopping patterns.
Young people are more vulnerable
Although more than three-quarters of teenagers reported that they never shop online or do so infrequently, the frequency of shopping increases with age, with 28.5% of those aged 14 to 17 shopping online at least once a month.
Kerstin Paschke, supervisor of the study and medical director of the German Center for Addiction Issues in Children and Adolescents at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, said that purchasing decisions often arise from the interaction between influence by influencers and desires and motivations formed by algorithms.
She added: “Young people are more vulnerable to manipulative mechanisms aimed at promoting consumption due to their neurological and psychological development.”
