The hottest Consumer sentiment Substack posts right now

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Vibecession: Much More Than You Wanted To Know

Astral Codex Ten • 54854 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Consumer sentiment
  1. The term 'vibecession' describes a time when the economy seemed fine but people's feelings about it were negative. Many young people feel stuck, afraid they can't achieve stability or homeownership like earlier generations.
  2. Despite economists saying things are getting better, many young people still don't feel it. They are often burdened by high housing costs and see less opportunity compared to boomers, even if their incomes have increased.
  3. A big issue is that opportunities now require more effort to achieve, which can make young people feel like they are failing even if they are doing okay. Media coverage also tends to focus more on negative narratives, contributing to this feeling.

Highlights From The Comments On Vibecession

Astral Codex Ten • 11494 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Consumer sentiment
  1. Since about 2021–2022 public mood about the economy dropped sharply even when many objective indicators didn’t, creating a separate “vibecession” driven by collapsing trust and meaning-making.
  2. There’s no consensus on causes: plausible drivers include inflation, housing affordability (especially for new movers and aspiring homeowners), rising expectations of what counts as success, media and algorithm effects, and measurement issues in inflation.
  3. Similar pessimism appears in other countries, showing feelings can be disconnected from real prosperity, and fixing the disagreement will take better empirical work on housing, inflation metrics, and generational consumption baskets.

Biden isn't losing because of bad economic vibes

Silver Bulletin • 345 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Consumer sentiment
  1. Biden's low approval ratings are not solely due to negative economic sentiments, but they could be influenced by consumer perceptions.
  2. There is a divergence in consumer confidence surveys which impacts how people view the economy and subsequently rate Biden's performance.
  3. Concerns about Biden's age and fitness for office are significant factors affecting voter perception, potentially more than economic factors.

Path-Breaking Research Explains the Low U.S. Consumer Gallup Poll Readings

The People's Economist with Anthony Chan • 19 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Consumer sentiment
  1. Consumers in the U.S. are feeling pessimistic despite strong economic indicators like GDP growth, low unemployment rates, and declining Misery Index, mainly due to concerns about inflation viewed as a severe economic hardship.
  2. Recent data suggests that Americans usually lag in incorporating the effects of inflation, with sentiment influenced by inflation readings observed 6 to 12 months prior, leading to a risk-averse approach among consumers.
  3. Consumer dissatisfaction might also stem from the rising prices of dining out compared to cooking at home, affecting restaurant spending and consumer sentiment.
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Trump-coloured glasses

Klement on Investing • 2 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Consumer sentiment
  1. When the government changes hands, people's views of reality seem to shift based on their political party. It's like their feelings about the economy and events depend on who is in power.
  2. People often see actions taken by the opposing party as harmful while justifying their own party's actions as protective. There's a strong bias in how we interpret government actions depending on which side we support.
  3. Overall, any intervention is viewed differently depending on who it comes from. It's acceptable when it is from your own party but seems threatening when it's from the other side.