Temu, Populism, and Your Brain

Meet Mark. CMO at a reputable company. 42 years old. It’s 10:15 PM.

He’s lying on the couch, cognitively fried after a day of back-to-back meetings and “brainstorming.” In his left hand, he holds his phone, furiously sharing memes about how “corrupt elites” are stealing his future. With his right hand - on the same device - he’s frantically spinning a digital wheel of fortune on Temu to score a 90% discount on a plastic cable organizer for $1.99.

Mark thinks he’s winning in both scenarios. Think these are two separate spheres of his life? Wrong. In a digital environment that systematically depletes our cognitive bandwidth, shopping on Temu and voting for populists aren’t separate acts - they’re the same neurobiological response to perceived loss of control.

In that moment, Mark’s brain is in a state I call the cognitive tunnel. The populist and the Temu seller now occupy the same slot in his dopamine system. And both play on the same vulnerability: the feeling of losing control.

The Scarcity Tax: Why Your IQ Drops by 13 Points 

Here’s the trick we often see at FrodX when analyzing consumer behavior—but rarely connect to the bigger picture. 

Mullainathan and Shafir demonstrated that scarcity (of money, time, safety) reduces our mental bandwidth. Specifically: in this state, cognitive capacity can drop by approximately 13 IQ points. This isn’t just “having an off day.” This is the difference between thinking strategically and merely reacting. 

When Temu flashes a countdown on the screen - “Only 3 minutes left!” Or when a populist screams - “This is the last chance to save the country!” - the same thing happens. The prefrontal cortex - the part responsible for analysis, delayed gratification, and System 2 - starts losing the battle. The amygdala and striatum step up. Fear. Greed. Reward. 

It’s not that people don’t understand economics or politics. It’s that in a state of artificially manufactured scarcity, we swap long-term rationality for a short-term “win.”

The Gamification of Submission: From Spin-the-Wheel to the Ballot Box 

Over the last 12 months, I’ve noticed a fascinating yet chilling trend: political communication is copying fast fashion mechanics. Shein and Temu don’t sell you products. They sell you a game: 

• The Wheel of Fortune

• Points

• Badges

• Countdowns

• “2 other people just bought this”

Now look at political campaigns organized via apps and platforms (from Brexit to Trump and beyond). Voters there often aren’t participating in democracy. They’re grinding for points to attack opponents. They get badges for sharing content. The system rewards speed, not reflection. 

The mechanism is identical. The user thinks they’re an active citizen or a savvy shopper. In reality, they’re in a Skinner box - pulling the lever for a dopamine fix. The fact is: once you gamify rebellion, you neutralize it. 

The “Smart Victim” Syndrome 

This surprised me when we analyzed purchasing habits. The most loyal customers on discount platforms aren’t necessarily those with the lowest incomes. Often, they’re the people with the strongest need to “beat the system.” I call this the “Smart Victim” Syndrome.

1. The Discount Hunter: Buys a product for $2 that “used to be $20” (or so it says). Feels transactional utility: “I outsmarted the merchant.”

2. The Populist Voter: Casts a vote for a radical option. Feels political satisfaction: “I outsmarted the elite.” 

In both cases, the feeling is the same: “I finally regained control.” The reality is more cynical: both are following dark patterns designed, tested, and optimized in advance to trigger exactly this reaction. 

The Twist: Your Rebellion Was Pre-Sold 

Here is the bottom line. The algorithm’s biggest victory isn’t convincing you to buy plastic or cast a vote. Those are quick wins. The algorithm’s real victory is selling you the feeling of rebellion. 

The paradox: the moment you think you’ve “beaten the system” with a 70% discount or a radical vote, you have actually submitted to it completely. The algorithm has:  

• Predicted
• Calculated
• Gamified
• Monetized

…your need for rebellion.When you click “Buy Now” or “Share” on that angry post, that’s not free will. You’re confirming that the model correctly calculated your fatigue - and your appetite for instant gratification. 

3 Questions for Your Prefrontal Cortex 

How do you defend yourself? Not with moralizing. By activating System 2. Before you click next time, ask yourself three questions: 

1. Do I feel urgency? If someone (a merchant or a politician) is screaming “only 5 minutes left” or “last chance,” they’re trying to hijack my thinking. 

2. Am I solving a problem or seeking dopamine? Does this purchase/comment solve an actual challenge - or just numb my momentary anxiety? 

3. Who profits from my anger? Am I really punishing the system with my reaction - or just feeding it data? 

Conclusion 

In our practice at FrodX, we see how easy it is to manipulate tired people. We marketers have tools more powerful than we care to admit. In short: the next time you feel an unstoppable need to “beat the system” with a lightning-fast purchase or a furious political comment, stop. 

Ask yourself: is this my decision - or just a cry for help from my exhausted prefrontal cortex, which needs sleep, not a new discount? 

CTA for marketing strategists: If you build your funnels on urgency, countdowns, and “last chances,” ask yourself a fourth question: are you selling value - or are you selling scarcity?

Igor Pauletič
igor.pauletic@frodx.com

P.S. If you think you’re immune to this, check your purchase history at 11:00 PM. The numbers don’t lie.

P.P.S. This column mixes confirmed behavioral science with my observations from marketing practice. If you’re looking for a peer-reviewed study on the direct link between Temu and populism - it doesn’t exist yet. If you’re looking for a framework to think about how your brain works at 11:00 PM - here you go. 

“Smart Victim Syndrome” is my term for a pattern I observe, not an officially recognized psychological diagnosis. The 13 IQ points figure comes from Mullainathan & Shafir (2013); context: Indian farmers. Your mileage may vary.