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For Canadian youth, social media embeds purchasing within entertainment, social interaction, and identity-making spaces, where algorithms, frictionless payments, and persistent ads reduce distance from exposure to purchase. 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consumption  \nby Neecha Klee and Hannah Weider Submitted to OCAD University  \nin partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2026  \nPre-read  \n2  \nSFI MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT  \nCopyright Notice  \nThis document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) .  \n[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)  \n[You are free to:](You are free to:)  \nShare —copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format Adapt —remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially  \nUnder the following conditions:  \nAttribution —You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.  \nWith the understanding that:  \nYou do not need to comply with the licence for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation  \nNo warranties are given  \nThe licence may not give you all permissions necessary for your intended use, such as privacy, publicity, or moral rights  \nPre-read  \n3  \nSFI MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT  \nAbstract  \nOverconsumption persists despite growing awareness of its social, environmental, and financial harms, revealing a gap between attitudes and the consumptive behaviours shaped by digital consumer environments. Social media platforms have transformed how young people engage with consumption by embedding purchasing within spaces designed for entertainment, social interaction, and identity formation. Within these environments, algorithmic recommendations, frictionless payment systems, and persistent advertising compress the distance between exposure and purchase, making consumption more ambient and difficult to resist. Meaningful intervention requires restoring user agency through system-level design strategies that interrupt low-friction consumption behaviours, support more intentional decision-making, and expand alternative ways of meeting social, emotional, and material needs.  \nThis study investigates how design can support reduced consumption among Canadian youth aged 18-25 through a mixed qualitative approach combining semistructured interviews, horizon scanning, and a participatory co-design workshop. Findings indicate that consumption is closely tied to identity and social participation and is reinforced by digital environments that prioritize speed and visibility, constraining youths’ ability to act on their intentions. This purchasing behaviour is further magnified by uncertainty and nihilism about the future which in turn motivates hedonic, joy-seeking purchasing behaviours. The research identifies two complementary directions for intervention: introducing moments of reflection within high-speed digital systems and strengthening alternative infrastructures that reduce reliance on purchasing. Insights from the co-design process informed a portfolio of interventions aimed at making more intentional relationships with consumption both viable and desirable, highlighting opportunities for designers, businesses, and policymakers to reshape consumer environments and restore agency.  \nPre-read  \n4  \nSFI MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT  \nDedication  \nWe would like to express our sincere gratitude to our supervisor Professor Helen Kerr for her guidance throughout this research process. Her leadership in foresight helped us define a clear scope for this project while encouraging intellectual breadth and analytical rigour. She consistently challenged us to engage deeply with complex problems that resist simple solutions and to examine the structural conditions shaping them.  \nWe are deeply grateful to","cbCaivhZhEFQQWyI","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivhZhEFQQWyI","pdf",23967878,109,"English","# Abstract\n# Dedication\n# Who Is this Report For?\n## Strategic foresight lens\n## Innovation frameworks\n## Opportunities for business and designers","[{\"question\":\"Why does overconsumption persist despite increased awareness of its harms?\",\"answer\":\"Overconsumption persists because attitudes do not automatically translate into behaviour when digital consumer environments shape purchasing through convenience, visibility, and persuasive systems.\"},{\"question\":\"How do digital platforms intensify youth purchasing behaviour?\",\"answer\":\"Social media compresses the time and effort between exposure and purchase via algorithmic recommendations, frictionless payment, and persistent advertising, limiting youths’ ability to act on their intentions.\"},{\"question\":\"What interventions does the research propose to support intentional consumption?\",\"answer\":\"The study identifies two complementary directions: inserting moments of reflection inside high-speed digital systems and building alternative infrastructures that reduce reliance on purchasing.\"}]","Designing for Intentional Consumption - The role of design in supporting agency among Canadian youth for sustainable consumption | PDF",275]