My kid asked me why I watch so many reviews for things I already own

I was watching my third video about the same smart speaker last night, the one I bought six months ago. My ten year old looked over and just said, 'Dad, you already have that. Why are you still looking at it?' I tried to explain about checking for updates or new tips, but it hit me that he was right. I wasn't learning anything new, I was just watching to hear someone else agree with my choice. It's like I spent $100 on the thing and then another five hours of my life making sure I didn't mess up. Now I'm trying to only watch reviews for stuff I'm actually thinking about buying. Does anyone else get stuck in this loop of post-purchase review watching, or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

hall.nina2mo ago

Oh man, I read something about this once, they called it "post-purchase validation" or something like that. It's basically our brains trying to quiet down that little voice that worries we wasted our money. I totally do it too, especially with bigger buys. Your kid calling you out is hilarious but also a solid wake up call, lol.

skylerb152mo ago

Yeah, I heard it's called "choice-supportive bias" too!

joseph_torres2mo ago

Bro I do this all the time, it's just a weird way to feel better about your buy.