Why the Internet Is Turning Into QVC

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If YouTube is making a comeback. Soon, Tube will have makeup tutorials and allow users to purchase eyeliner or face powder right from their site. FacebookInfomercial-style programs will be aired that encourage people to shop small businesses, such as one that sells dog bows ties.

LotsMany businesses and internet personalities have already started to promote their products on social media. ButFor the first time in the United StatesInternet companies seem to be making an effort to make shopping seamless and inextricable to the online spaces that allow us to entertain and inform but not necessarily to purchase stuff.

Yes, America’s internet is turning into QVC. (People under 30: Email(Send me an explanation of home-shopping TV.

ThisThree reasons this is happening: fear, greed and China. And the growing mania for digital shopping options is another example of how our experiences online are shaped just as much by corporations’ interests as by our desires.

Let me backtrack to what’s going on and why. ForYears in ChinaYoung people love shopping webcasts, short videos, and social media personalities that inform and allow them to buy products instantly.

ThisThis happens often in the form in-app Webcasts, which my colleague also mentioned. Raymond Zhong has described as “QVC and late-night television infomercials reinvented for the mobile age.” InOne such webcast was held last month. Chinese online pitchman known as the “lipstick brother” sold $1.9 billion worth of merchandise in a single day.

TechnologistsWe have already predicted that it will only take a few more years. Americans got hooked on similar blends of e-commerce and social media, but that hasn’t quite happened.

LotsPeople and businesses Instagram, YouTube and TikTok both sell merchandise but they often direct customers to buy on Amazon, SephoraOr visit another website. PartThe magic of Chinese in-app shopping is that you can buy something the millisecond that your brain says, “Oooh, I want it!”

I’ve been unsure that ChineseThe popularity of online shopping in style could be the future United States. ButThere are many to choose from. AmericanThis trend is being promoted by internet companies that claim we could change our habits simply by their will.

YouTube executives recently haven’t stopped talking about turning the site into a place for video creators to sell things. This week, YouTube, which is owned and operated by Google, detailed its plans to introduce live shopping webcastsAnd “shoppable videos” in time for the holidays. Amazon, Snapchat, Pinterest, Facebook and InstagramShopping webcasts are becoming more popular and you can also buy items directly through these apps. SoTikTok is the creator of this app. ChineseLive shopping is big for the parent company.

WhyIs all this happening right now? I’ll go back to greedAnd fear.

Facebook and GoogleTake a look at the billions who use their apps every single day and you’ll see that you want to sell your app to them hot sauce and sneakers. (And it’s a good bet that those companies will want a fee from those product sales, although they’re not talking much about that yet.)

SocialMedia companies are also trying to help people who want to make a living off their followings. Instagram, YouTube, SnapchatTikTok or Facebook, to keep users coming back. Online creators have one carrot: E-commerce sales.

And then there’s fear. Google doesn’t love that most AmericansTurn to Amazon when they’re hunting for products, rather than to its web search box. FacebookAnd SnapchatAre concerned about Apple’s new data privacy rules eating into their advertising sales. DiversifyingThey have a plan B when they go online to e-commerce. AndFor younger internet companies like ours, ad revenue alone may not be enough. PinterestAnd Snap.

You’ll notice that my list of whys didn’t include shoppers’ desire to buy lipstick from QVC-style InstagramTikTok shows or the miracle cleaner you saw on TikTok. Yup.

BuyingWe might find the stuff we want in our favorite online entertainment sites useful, but we might be hesitant to shop where we chat with our friends. Facebook gardening groups. We’ll see. IfIn-app shopping in America is a little more like the way it works in England. China, it may not necessarily be because it’s what Americans want, but because it’s what a bunch of powerful companies want.

What’s your take on shopping webcasts and purchasing what you want from sites like YouTube or Instagram? DoThese platforms allow you to make direct purchases. LeaveYour response in the comments and the On TechA selection will be made by the team.

Next week I’ll speak to the chief executive of RedditWe can have better conversations online. I’ll also get advice from the moderators of some large, healthyOnline communities, as well as a drag queen who manages a large following. Here’s more information on the event, free for all New York Times subscribers.

Starting on MondayWe will also have a group chat SlackYou can also chat with other readers about the changing role technology plays in your daily life at. YouAfter signing up, you will be invited to the group. SeeThere you are!

TIP OF THE WEEK

EmbraceThe friendly bots

Internet “bots,” or automation software used to post on social media or speed through online checkouts, have a bad rap for spreading online propagandaAnd hogging popular sneakers. But Brian X. ChenThe consumer technology columnist at. The New York TimesAccording to, bots can be used in holiday season.

LastSummer, I wrote a column on how to buy a PlayStation 5. It’s worth revisiting because the consoles are still in short supply.

NotAll bots are bad, but there are some that will tweet when scarce items are back in stock. (MyColumn included some reliable TwitterAccounts, including @PS5StockAlertsAnd @mattswider(This track PlayStations. YouYou can set up alerts that will notify your phone immediately these tweets have been posted. Once you’re done, you can then go online to purchase.

(ResellersBots can also be used to buy as many PlayStations and make a large profit on eBay. That we don’t recommend.)

There are other useful tricks if you’re eager to buy a particular product. InsteadDon’t wait for a shopping event. Black FridayYou can buy the item you really want and check if its price drops later. SomeRetailers have a price adjustment policy that allows them to refund you some of your money if the price drops from when you purchased it.

CostcoFor example, this policy is followed by the State of Texas IfYou bought a laptop today, and the price dropped during the week Black FridayYou can fill out the form on its website to receive a gift certificate.

Before we go …

• The DepartmentThis is Justice sued Uber: TheMy colleague said that the government had found a way to charge extra fees for people with disabilities who required more than two minutes to enter cars. Kate Conger reported. TheThe lawsuit dates back to 2016 UberThe policy was only intended for riders who kept drivers waiting, according to the company.

• YouTube is hiding “dislike” counts: People can still click the thumbs-down button on videos, but the number of dislikes on a video won’t be publicly visible. ThisThis is a trick to try to stop large numbers from expressing dissatisfaction with video creators through flooding them with dislike clicks. The Verge reports.

• “Don’t upgrade something you like simply because a company is hyping a new model,” advises Annemarie ConteEditor at Wirecutter, The New York Times’s product recommendation site. And AnnemarieHere are more great suggestions on what to do before you purchase a new tech gadget.

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