From Happywashing to Happytalism: Fostering Youth Well-Being Through the HEAL Framework

Ellen Campos Sousa, Tessa Garcia-Collart, Kelly Moore, Deniz Dalman (), Sphurti Sewak, Cheryl-Lyn Ngoh, Rodolfo Rodrigues Rocha, Giovanni Latorre, Wendy Gillis, Luciana Freire, Miguel Zuniga and Luis Gallardo
Additional contact information
Ellen Campos Sousa: University of Tampa (United States, Tampa) - UT
Tessa Garcia-Collart: University of Missouri [St. Louis] - University of Missouri System
Kelly Moore: Duquesne University [Pittsburgh]
Deniz Dalman: EM - EMLyon Business School
Sphurti Sewak: Illinois State University
Cheryl-Lyn Ngoh: CAL POLY POMONA - California State Polytechnic University [Pomona]
Rodolfo Rodrigues Rocha: OSU - Oklahoma State University [Stillwater]
Giovanni Latorre: TTU - Tennessee Tech University [Cookeville]
Wendy Gillis: UNF - University of North Florida [Jacksonville]
Luciana Freire: Unichristus (Brazil, Fortaleza)
Miguel Zuniga: Morgan State University

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Abstract: Youth are increasingly targeted by brands that position happiness as a marketable commodity, framing product appeals as means to make consumers happier. Because youth are developmentally vulnerable and immersed in digital environments, these practices raise pressing concerns for consumer welfare and public policy. We define such strategies as happywashing: misleading marketing communication practices that exploit the concept of happiness to push consumption. Repeated exposure to these appeals fosters materialism, intensifies social comparison, and diminishes subjective well-being. To address this problem, we build on happytalism, a paradigm that prioritizes well-being over material accumulation, to introduce the HEAL framework: Holistic emotional support, Empowering social support, Awareness-reframing support, and Lifestyle-changing support. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, HEAL proposes non-transactional brand initiatives that strengthen self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and social connection independent of purchase. By contrasting happywashing with happytalism, we contribute to Transformative Consumer Research by advancing theory on consumer well-being, offering actionable guidance for marketers to move beyond commodified happiness, and providing policymakers with conceptual foundations for regulating happiness claims. We argue that non-transactional engagement models can mitigate the harms of commodified happiness, enhance youth resilience in digital environments, and reorient marketing toward authentic individual and collective welfare.

Keywords: Happywashing; Happytalism; Youth; Well-being; Consumer Happiness; Social Cognitive Theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-09
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Published in Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, In press, ⟨10.1177/07439156261452981⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05656768

DOI: 10.1177/07439156261452981

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