“This is such a brilliant thing to do”: Finance influencer breaks down the 5 habits keeping Gen Z and millennials broke
A TikTok influencer's “big sister advice” for financially chaotic people on social media boils down to: stop buying things. Apparently, it’s a hot take for millennials and Gen Z'ers buckling under pressure from social media to overconsume to seem “cool or aesthetic.”
Mia, @miarosemcgrath, shared her tips for overcoming the five habits keeping young people broke in a June 29, 2025, TikTok with 83,000 views.
The finance influencer spoke to TikTok users inundated with opportunities to overspend. Online shopping, fast fashion, and tech that enables instant gratification all contribute to effortless overconsumption. But according to Mia, it’s the constant exposure to new trends on social platforms that really drives overspending for younger generations.
Commenters responding to Mia’s advice on TikTok applauded her insight and clarity. The tips resonated with people trying their best to save money and avoid overconsumption despite social pressure to have all the latest things.
“And honestly, if you’re struggling with a compulsion to spend, delete social media. The pressure can’t get you if you can’t see it.”
"Trying to be cool or aesthetic is making you broke."
“You're not going to like what I have to say in this video,” Mia warned, “but this is some big sister advice that you need to hear that I wish someone had told me.”
In her video, Mia gave the shopping girlies permission not to buy the latest thing. “It's not essential. If you really like something, save up for it. I guarantee if you waited 30 days to buy it, you wouldn't want it anymore,” she said. She urged people to save money, no matter how insignificant the amount may seem, and stay disciplined re: side hustles. Mia reminded women that despite rumors spread on social platforms—no man is going to sweep and offer you a soft life.
“Make your own money,” she asserted.
@miarosemcgrath just my opinion #personalfinance #saving #overconsumption ♬ original sound - Mia
“The amount of overconsumption I see is wild, it’s so wasteful (not just of money but resources!) ????????.”
“Literally! And it’s not like the trend will last a year. It would just take a month or two and the trend would die down. This fast fashion is really getting everyone’s money. ????”
Here are the 5 habits keeping you broke:
- You’re buying things to seem cool or aesthetic
- You think you need the latest trending “must have”
- You don’t save money because you think it’s pointless
- You think you’re “too busy” to make extra money
- You expect a man to sweep in and offer you a “soft life”
Is social media contributing to shopping addiction among younger generations?
According to Credit Karma, 33 percent of Gen Zers and millennials claimed to have a shopping addiction. 69 percent of Zoomers blamed social media for shopping habits that cause them to drain their bank accounts. 18 percent of shopping addicts surveyed said they'd taken on more than $5,001 in debt. An additional 21 percent said they’d racked up between $1,000 and $5,000 in debt.
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