Journal for Christian reflections in the context of social sciences and humanities

Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):88-102 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.009

Payment Cards and Consumerism in the Age of AI: towards a Mediation Account

Ehsan Arzroomchilar1, Daniel D. Novotný2
1 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Theology, Centre for Applied Philosophy, Kněžská 8, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czech Republic
2 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Theology, Centre for Applied Philosophy, Kněžská 8, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czech Republic

We sometimes assume that technologies simply do what they are designed to do. Technology, however, brings new opportunities and risks into the world that would not have been possible otherwise. It often leads to effects that are unintended and/or unforeseen and exceed our pri mary intentions. It shapes environment, society, and even our own self-understanding. In this paper, we offer an account of one such technology, namely payment cards (and other related payment technologies), which are an important step in the direction of cashless society and Internet of Things. While conveniently facilitating the process of payment, these cards have been shown to promote consumerism, impulsive spending, and, in some extreme cases, may even contribute to the development of a mental dysfunction known as ‘Compulsive Buying Disorder’. In our applied philosophy essay, we employ the concept of technological mediation from the postphenomenological tradition, which highlights the role of artifacts themselves going beyond their merely instrumental value.

Keywords: Payment card, consumerism, Compulsive Buying Disorder, mental health, public health, mediation, Internet of Things, Postphenomenology, Don Ihde

Received: December 11, 2025; Revised: March 31, 2026; Accepted: March 31, 2026; Published: July 2, 2026  Show citation

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Arzroomchilar, E., & Novotný, D.D. (2026). Payment Cards and Consumerism in the Age of AI: towards a Mediation Account. Caritas et veritas, 16(1), 88-102. doi: 10.32725/cetv.2026.009
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