Hacked by Ads: The Psychology of Spending

Your brain is being hacked every time you scroll past an ad. It’s called the

Elaboration Likelihood Model, and it predicts exactly how to make you spend money

based on how lazy your brain is being. If you’re buying something huge like a car,

marketers use the Central Route, hitting you with hard logic and specs because they know

you’re actually paying attention. But for the cheap stuff like candy or soda?

They switch to the Peripheral Route. No facts, just vibes, catchy music,

and celebrities. They know you aren't thinking, so they bypass your logic entirely.

Next time you buy a snack just because it looked cool, remember you just got played by the