If you have scrolled through any social media app in December, it only takes a few minutes to spot the famous trend known as Christmas hauls. In these videos, the creators usually start by saying that they are grateful for the gifts they’ve received before showcasing expensive, branded and often over-the-top items.
At first, it appears to be an authentic, harmless sharing. Sometimes, the creators of these videos even feel relatable, as the content comes from their own space. However, if you look more closely, you’ll realize that you are not just looking at a pile of endless gifts but an emotional landmine, one that affects how teenagers identify and value their self-worth without them even realizing it.
Many Christmas haul videos are not just for sharing but also function as hidden marketing. It becomes harder to tell if the excitement is real or just for show. Some creators receive free products. Some are paid to feature certain brands. Others simply copy what they see is trending online. Regardless of the reason, the effect is the same, as creators make everything feel bigger and more glamorous than reality.
Creators praise products, brands gain exposure and platforms use algorithms to push this content to viewers who are most likely to buy and compare. Studies from the Boston Institute of Analytics note that behind the screen, AI systems are running and analysing what people pause to watch, replay and engage with. These AI algorithms then push similar videos into viewers’ feeds and even to their contacts.
Algorithms reward emotion, attention and comparison, but are teenagers even aware of all this while they scroll? “I think people would approach these videos through a different lens if they knew that the products were sponsored,” Niva Himatsingka ‘27 said.
The creators make each haul feel real, AI then spreads them widely and algorithms measure our reactions, which can quietly feed into anxiety, low self-esteem and the pressure to measure up for many teenagers. “It makes it harder to appreciate what you have because you’re constantly seeing what other people have,” Nyx Patel ‘27 explained.
And when someone cannot afford a trending product, they end up paying with a loss in confidence, feeling left out of the world that everyone else seems to belong to.
The haul culture not only poses a significant risk to teenagers’ mental health but also shifts the meaning of the holiday season. Reflecting on Castielleja’s Global Week Theme of ‘Beyond the Attention Economy: From Distance to Shared purpose’, the holidays are no longer just about connection or tradition. They start to look like a competition when gratitude is about how impressive it looks online, and when celebration is not a shared purpose but rather about the number of gifts received with a visual price tag.
This cultural shift is not only concerning but also redefining how teenagers understand happiness, identity and belonging.
The effects of this trend raise serious questions about responsibility and regulation. Marketing itself is not the problem; it supports businesses, drives the economy and plays a critical role during the holiday season. Studies from Cambridge University suggest the issue is in the ways marketing is done, especially with AI and algorithms influencing the mental health of teenagers.
Some schools offer an interesting contrast: They can create some distance from haul culture while not erasing it completely. At Castilleja, the uniform and new phone policy soften the social pressure created by haul culture. But once students arrive home, those limits are far less present.
Haul culture has spread across our feeds in full view, normalized by algorithms and rarely questioned. The result is a system that shapes how teenagers measure value, happiness and belonging. The question is not whether something should change, but where the responsibility begins.
Schools can help by strengthening digital literacy and teaching students how online content and algorithms influence emotions and self-worth. Student platforms like Counterpoint can create space for honest conversations about online culture, advertising and mental health. At the same time, companies can take greater responsibility with transparency about sponsored content and AI-driven promotions, while policymakers should consider whether existing regulations keep pace with teenage digital life.
None of these steps alone is enough, but together they recognize a necessary truth: Protecting teenagers’ well-being in a digital world requires awareness, accountability and action that goes beyond just individual scrolling.
