Temu – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Temu

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

app2022

12%

WISE Score

4.7

App Store

Ultra-cheap shopping app that gamifies impulse buying—basically a slot machine that ships you stuff you don't need.

Temu

app

Teen, 2022

12%

WISE Score

4.7

App Store

Ultra-cheap shopping app that gamifies impulse buying—basically a slot machine that ships you stuff you don't need.

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Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

Let's be clear: Temu is not for kids. Period. The company's own terms say 18+, and there's a reason for that.

This app is essentially a psychological experiment in how to make people buy things they don't need through gamification, fake urgency, and manipulative design. It's got spinning wheels, countdown timers, flash deals, and every dark pattern in the book. One Reddit user spent 10-15 minutes just navigating the gamified shopping experience before even looking at products.

Beyond the manipulation, there are real safety concerns: reports of toxic products, sketchy data practices, and payment security issues. Parents on Facebook warn about banking info being kept and sold to third parties.

If your kid has this app, delete it and have a conversation about how companies exploit psychological vulnerabilities to make money. That's the only educational value here—as a cautionary tale.

Age Fit

This app is for adults 18+ per its own terms of service. It should not be used by children or teens. If your teen has discovered it, this is an opportunity to discuss manipulative design, consumer culture, and digital literacy—not to actually shop on it.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Temu uses extreme gamification and manipulative design patterns to encourage compulsive shopping behavior. The app creates a slot-machine-like experience with flash deals, spinning wheels, and constant notifications that model unhealthy consumption habits rather than thoughtful purchasing. This is the opposite of wholesome—it's designed to exploit psychological vulnerabilities.

Imaginative

Zero imaginative value. This is pure consumption—scrolling through cheap products with no creative expression, exploration, or curiosity involved. It's the digital equivalent of wandering a discount warehouse, except designed to be addictive.

Safe

Multiple serious safety concerns: Terms of Use require users to be 18+, yet the app is widely accessible to minors. Reports of toxic products, data privacy issues, and banking information security concerns. The extreme gamification creates compulsive loops designed to extract money. Parents report the app keeps payment information and may sell data to third parties. The manipulative design patterns specifically target impulsive behavior.

Enriching

Actively anti-enriching. Teaches impulsive consumption, values cheap goods over quality, and trains users to respond to manipulative psychological triggers. No cognitive growth, no skill-building, no meaningful takeaways except perhaps learning to recognize predatory app design—but that's not the app's intention.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

If you need to teach your teen about manipulative app design and predatory business practices, this is a masterclass
Genuinely cheap prices on some items (though quality and safety are questionable)
Could spark conversations about consumerism, fast fashion, and environmental impact

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What to Watch For

The app is legally for adults only (18+) despite being easily accessible—it's not designed for kids
Extreme gamification with spinning wheels, flash deals, and countdown timers designed to trigger impulsive purchases
Reports of toxic products, counterfeit goods, and items that don't match descriptions
Privacy concerns including stored payment info and potential third-party data sales
Creates compulsive shopping habits through psychological manipulation

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think this app uses so many games and timers? What are they trying to make you feel?"
"How do you decide if something is actually a good deal or just feels like one?"
"What happens to all the cheap stuff people buy and don't really need?"

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