We live in a modern society, which imposes an alert pace of daily life for all of us. As a result, there are constant attempts to find ways for people to access any service as quickly as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic has made drastic changes in human behaviour, lifestyle and the reality people live in. There is a concern that people are living in times of multiple existential, economic and instability threats due to drastic changes in daily life. Also known as Oniomania, the habit of compulsive shopping has come to the attention of the medical world. Studies show that the habit of buying excessively has become a concern in today's society, being similar to other well-known compulsive or addictive disorders, such as substance abuse, gambling addiction, or eating disorders. Online shopping offers multiple benefits, therefore there has been an increase in using online shopping, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people had no other option than to stay at home and use the Internet for various purposes. Method: The review of the literature draws on searches within databases including Pubmed, Science Direct, Elsevier, EBSCO, Medline. Conclusion: Health crises, such as epidemics and pandemics, can be a key factor in compulsive shopping. There are seven variables which are thought to influence the possible development of online shopping addiction: low self-esteem, low self-regulation; negative emotion, enjoyment, gender, social anonymity and cognitive overload.
When Is a New Scale not a New Scale? The Case of the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale and the Compulsive Online Shopping Scale
