If you're ordering dinner from Uber Eats, picking out lunch at a touch screen kiosk at McDonald's, or using a QR code to browse the menu at Chili's, chances are you're going to overindulge.
That's according to a new University of South Florida study. It found these digital methods make our decisions more impulsive — and we think less about the long-term consequences of our choices.
"When we do not have access to a digital medium, we tend to think more, we tend to put in more effort in our thoughts and in our decisions," said Dipayan Biswas, a marketing professor at the USF Muma College of Business and co-author of the study. "When we are using a digital medium, we tend to outsource our thinking to those digital platforms or media."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spending on such third-party services tripled for fast-food restaurants from 2019 to 2022.
Biswas also said ordering digitally also makes people choose more unhealthy options. The study found 61% of digital orders were unhealthy — three percent higher than non-digital orders.
"We get into the flow system — that usually doesn't go well with healthy foods," Biswas said. "That's when our natural instincts take over. When we are not thinking too much, something that's tasty would be more appealing than something that's good for your body in the long run."
Biswas said companies like McDonald's and Shake Shack are catching on to this trend and expanding their digital services.
