453 – Should Shopping Be a Game? Risks of Apps Like Temu

Online shopping isn’t new. Apps are not new. But is shopping supposed to be a game? That’s the angle a new shopping app called Temu appears to have taken. Since its launch in September 2022, the app has millions of monthly users, offers very deep discounts, and has strong incentives to keep users coming back. On today’s podcast, Doug Hoyes takes a closer look at how Temu works and interviews users from very different age groups for comparison. He also discusses whether we should be concerned about shopping gamification in general, how data is potentially treated on Temu, and whether cheaper is always better. Tune in for a unique show!

Links:

CNN Article: ‘One of China’s most popular apps has the ability to spy on its users’ https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/02/tech/china-pinduoduo-malware-cybersecurity-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html

How Temu topped by U.S. app charts by turning shopping into a game: https://restofworld.org/2023/temu-mobile-gaming/

Time Stamps:

00:32 What is Temu?

1:20 An 87-year-old’s perspective of Temu

14:33 An 18-year-old’s perspective of Temu

21:37 What are the risks to Temu & making informed decisions about spending