Online shopping and unmissable deals: how to protect ourselves when information becomes overwhelming

Reading time 3 minutes

Published on 28/11/2025

'Good morning! What sandwiches do you have?'

'Ham, cheese...'

'Cooked or cured ham?'

'Cooked.'

'I don't like that. And cheese?'

'Well, cheese.'

'But there are so many types of cheese: mature, soft, melting...'

'Listen, I got up at six this morning!'

'And I at five.'

'What time did you go to bed?'

'Around midnight.'

'I at two!'

'Ah, well then... cheese.'

Dialogues like this one between customer and shopkeeper - taken from the film 'Ask Me If I'm Happy' by Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo - are becoming increasingly rare, mainly because today we prefer shopping online rather than in stores.

According to ISTAT data, in 2024 almost half (46.8 per cent) of the population aged over 14 made online purchases. Moreover, in September 2025 these purchases had risen by 7.3 per cent compared with the same month the previous year, while purchases from small retailers had slightly declined (-0.4 per cent).

But there is another reason: while Giovanni in the film knows exactly what he wants and the shopkeeper has no intention of going into details, in the digital world the situation is reversed. We often don't really know what we're looking for and, before we can identify our true need, we are flooded with information that leads us to act on impulse or, conversely, leaves us confused and discouraged. In other words, we experience information overload.

Information overload

Information overload is a psychological and cognitive condition in which we are unable to process the huge amount of information we receive. This is exactly what happens during Black Friday, when we are bombarded with notifications, newsletters, banners, flash sales, countdowns and 'last chances'. It's a constant wave of information. When there is too much to process calmly and carefully, our decisions - especially financial ones - deteriorate.

Behavioural economics studies show that the brain takes mental shortcuts when under pressure or overwhelmed by stimuli. It relies on emotions, urgency and the most obvious signals. We buy things we don't need because they look like an unmissable bargain, or we pay more than necessary because we fail to consider cheaper alternatives. Companies know this well and use it during discount periods to make impulsive purchases more likely.

The opposite can also happen: too much information creates stress and frustration, the brain slows down and 'switches off', and we tend to postpone or abandon the purchase altogether. To avoid this paralysis, many companies focus on increasingly personalised messages, just like streaming platforms that narrow and organise our home page based on algorithms analysing our tastes and behaviour.

How to protect ourselves

So, how can we as consumers protect ourselves from decision paralysis? Here are a few tips:

• Clarify your ideas first: before starting your online search, try to define what you want as clearly as possible. Talk to someone you trust or, if possible, see the product in person. You'll have a better idea of what you're looking for, fewer questions to answer and fewer reviews to read. Your confidence will grow and you'll be better prepared to handle uncertainty online.
• Set essential criteria in advance: make a checklist of the key features that matter to you - for example, price, size, after-sales support - and focus only on information related to those aspects.
• Choose calm moments: to avoid stress and frustration, do your comparisons, searches and purchases when you're relaxed and not under pressure. Research shows that slowing down a decision helps you choose better. When fatigue increases, decision quality plummets.

In conclusion

If we want to shop online, before setting sail we need three things: a clear destination (the item we want), a sturdy, well-equipped boat (a fresh and aware mind), a map of the sky with guiding stars (a few key pieces of information to focus on). This way, we'll not only reach our destination safely, but we might even enjoy the journey.