Online Checkout is a Dopamine Hit, We’d Rather Job Hunt Than Date, Workplace Friends Matter, and Canada Fights Back on Tariffs.

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

Good morning from New York.

Maybe this is why online dating can be so hard: Our weekend survey of Gen Z and Millennial dating app users admitted to lying in various ways, from their outside interests (39%) to their occupation (36%), appearance (34%), height (33%), and even their political affiliation (31%). Yet (74%) of these same users say someone lying on their profile is a turnoff.?

We have four new stories this week:

1. New research finds that clicking purchase on an online cart is such a rush that it predisposes people to buy more stuff at that moment.
2. What does it say for modern relationships when many would choose to go to a job interview instead of on a date?
3. New Harris research reveals that building workplace friendships is a secret to boosting employee retention.?
4. Our Harris Poll Toronto office reports how Canadians fight potential U.S. tariffs by shopping locally.?

Have a great rest of the week! John

1. Online Shopping's Dopamine Hit: Rokt-Harris Poll

What's the best part of the internet? A new Harris/ Rokt report titled "The Joy of Checking Out" in Forbes is a good clue:

• Consumers globally (Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.) ranked shopping as the activity that gave them the most joy when spending time online (53%), followed closely by streaming content (47%) and social media (42%).
• Roughly (70%) say they look forward to online shopping, and (72%) of Gen Z/MLS say online shopping is a more enjoyable experience than IRL, with half (51%) of younger consumers even saying they dread going to a store to shop.?
• Dopamine hits can inspire more purchases: Online shoppers are twice as likely to engage with relevant products, services, and marketing messages at the moment of transaction. But too many ads at checkout create cart abandonment:?

Takeaway: While "The Joy of Checking Out" is a real phenomenon among consumers, companies must be wary of how their offers might kill that joy: "Consumers feel frustrated when they are overwhelmed by too many ads because it makes them feel more like a sales target than a valued customer," said Elizabeth Buchanan, Chief Commercial Officer of Rokt. Nearly three-quarters (74%) said they'd rather receive no offer than one irrelevant to them, with (28%) of Gen Z even feeling overwhelmed with receiving too many online offers. "When someone's shopping, when they've got their credit card out, they're willing to spend real money, and they want that experience to be thoughtful, beautiful, and relevant…All those things that pop out at you and get in the way are decreasing our interest in engaging."

2. Job Interviews Are More Fun Than First Dates: Indeed-Harris Poll

In our new Harvard-Harris Poll, (51%) of Americans say the economy is on the wrong track. It begs the question, is desperation sinking in? A new survey we conducted with Indeed finds that (61%) of Americans would rather job hunt than date in 2025.

• By the numbers: The unemployment rate at 4% is near record lows. Yet nearly 1.6 million unemployed workers have been job hunting for at least six months.
• ?In our previous research with the American Staffing Association, most job seekers say that "applying for jobs feels like sending a resume into a black box" (72%).?

Takeaway: Did anyone expect job seeking and dating to become notoriously opaque and challenging online when the internet started? As dating app matches go unanswered, the ghosting phenomenon has extended to job interviews, leaving many parties wondering what went wrong. At the Forbes CMO Summit, we found that two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z/Millennials wish they could go back to when dating apps didn't exist. Now, we wonder if online job seekers pine for pre-HR bot times.?

3. Work Friends Boost Retention: Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll

According to?new Harris research?with Express Employment Professionals, having friends at work has surprising benefits for companies: Employees are happier, more productive, and more likely to stay.?

• Over half of U.S. hiring managers believe that employees forming friendships in the workplace?increases morale?(55%),?improves productivity?(54%), and?strengthens company culture?(51%).
• Hiring managers also say work friendships reduce turnover (44%), as (76%) of job seekers would stick with a company if they had friends at their workplace.?
• More than half of job seekers (59%) say they couldn't get through a workday without the friendship(s) they've formed at work.

Takeaway: "In today's dynamic work environment, fostering genuine friendships among employees is not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative," says Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. "These connections enhance morale, boost productivity, and significantly improve retention rates. By creating a culture where friendships can flourish, companies invest in their most valuable asset: their people."

4. Canadians Fight Tariffs By Shopping Local: Petro Canada-Harris Poll Canada

President Trump plans to launch tariffs against Canada starting next Tuesday. However, according to a new Harris Canaca poll with Petro-Canada in the Toronto Sun and Retail Insider, Canadians say they will buy locally instead.

• An overwhelming number of Canadians (94%) say it's important to buy Canadian and support Canadian companies, with (75%) saying "it's very important."
• Canadian consumers are also willing to pay a premium (76%) and/or travel further (64%) to support local brands. At the same time (72%) would?wait longer?for a product to be delivered or become available to buy in Canada.
• Backing it up: In the last week, a third (34%) have substituted a product they would have bought with a Canadian product.?
• Also, (82%) of Canadians are willing to try new brands to buy Canadian, and (53%) have discussed buying Canadian with friends or family in the last week.

Takeaway: "I think we're seeing a degree of patriotism that's surging. It's been a long time that Canadians have felt this way," says Sara Cappe, Canadian President at The Harris Poll. "So, we're seeing this rallying cry for supporting local that we haven't seen previously. It's fundamentally shifting Canadians' purchasing decisions."