Why are Students Prone to Sweet Treat Culture?

I found a really cute pastry shop, we should go there! 

A little reward for surviving my back-to-back lectures!

This calls for a sweet treat!

The ‘Little Treat Culture’ is everywhere. It’s on your Instagram feed and it is right in front of you at Spoiled. And personally, I am a big fan. I love walking around town and stopping in at a coffee shop to try their newest latte or even get a chunky chocolate chip cookie (gluten intolerance = successfully ignored). Friends of mine even have a whole daily coffee routine down, including time, go-to spots and orders.

So is there an issue here? Is there a point at which cute little treats stop being so cute? Let’s zoom out.

Photo credit: Josephina Wann

The Little Treat Culture phenomenon is generation-wide. Gen Z has adopted a routine of getting small consumable items to supplement their day. Instead of saving up, we invest in the present version of ourselves, thus purchasing a moment of happiness. But where does the habit come from? I’d argue that inherently, it most definitely has something to do with social media and the culture it promotes: highly individualistic, romanticising your day-to-day life, sharing fun moments. So the aesthetics are surely a part of it, but I think it goes further.

One theory is that we grew up exposed to the dopamine mechanisms of immediate gratification through smartphones and social media apps. Many of us started using such apps at age 10 or even younger. As short-form content grew in popularity, social media platforms became increasingly sophisticated in using algorithms to capture our attention and maximise engagement, shaping the way we consumed content.

But don’t worry, I won’t lecture - I’m equally as susceptible to a good doomscroll as you are.

I think that one possible explanation for why a little treat is now a fundamental weekly or even daily event is the search for a real-life dopamine hit, like the one we get through watching short videos. Maybe the constant presence of such stimulation has translated into our real world and settled in via small, continuous consumerism.

Photo credit: Josephina Wann

Another element, especially in an effort to zoom back in on students, is stress. Oh, how we all know it! It may be, and I’d support this theory through my own behaviour, that a treat is a momentary alleviation from stress and worry. As students, much of what we work towards involves delayed gratification: assignments, exams and ultimately a degree. Little treats, on the other hand, offer an immediate and guaranteed reward, regardless of how productive we've actually been.

But this is where a potential problem could arise. If a treat becomes an escape that reduces stress, such relief becomes associated with consumerism. And let me tell you this: my £3 coffees are quickly adding up and forming a not-so-little hole in my bank account. We’ve become exceptionally good at telling ourselves that we deserve reward, no convincing necessary. Does this mean we have to abandon our favourite coffee shops and live in the library 24/7? Of course not. As I said at the beginning, I love my sweet treats and café afternoons spent catching up with friends. But I’m urging you, urging myself, to be conscious of it.

Photo credit: Josephina Wann