Social media is less social than ever. It’s less a place to connect than it is a hub of passive consumption, composed of shopping content neatly disguised as community. TikTok may have originally felt like a much needed reprieve from the aestheticization of Instagram back in 2020, but the launch of TikTok Shop in September of 2023 seems to have turned the platform into an even bigger tool for overconsumption.
Excessive consumption has become rampant. People feel overwhelmed by the sheer pace at which they are urged to consume. According to global research from Ipsos, 73% of adults wish they could slow down the pace of their life. And if I hear “run don’t walk” one more time from an influencer I’m going to throw up.
Amidst this consumerist hellscape, we’re desperate for a way to feel in control — of our shopping habits, and by extension our lives.
Enter: underconsumption core. “The latest shopping trend? Not shopping.” CNN poignantly remarks in a recent article. File that one under trends that aren’t really trends. Searches for “underconsumption core” grew by more than 4,250% over the past 12 months, according to Google Trends data. If it feels similar, it is.
De-influencing was all the rage back in early 2023, with many influencers — possibly catching on that their followers were sick of being sold to constantly — urged their audiences NOT to purchase certain things, enlightening them as to what is truly “worth it” vs. not. 88% of Gen Z social media users say they have been de-influenced. Yet 66% also say they have been influenced to purchase a product that appeared in creator content. Almost half of Americans admit to making impulse buys after seeing something on social media. Yet more than half of them regret at least one of those purchases. Despite reports that influencer marketing is going through a reckoning, the constant swinging of the pendulum of consumption seems to prove otherwise.
At the same time as underconsumption was trending on TikTok, back to school shopping and hauls were in full swing. 55% of back-to-school and college shoppers had already begun buying items for the upcoming school year according to a July 11 NRF report. What’s more, 42% of parents of K-12 or college kids say they’d literally go into debt to pay for back-to-school items to help their children fit in at school. And they certainly are — Americans have over a trillion dollars in credit card debt.
The problem with “trends” like de-influencing and underconsumption is that they impart a fallacy of control. Many people participating in these trends aren’t really changing anything at all. The previously mentioned CNN article spotlights influencer and consultant Suzanne Lambert who allegedly “canceled her subscription to a beauty box” after watching underconsumption content. Truly a notable sacrifice!
We keep trying to find ways to reconcile this phase of late stage capitalism and consumerism. It’s the same psyche behind “little treat” culture — while it has a contrary approach, it reflects a similar desire to reconcile guilt around “frivolous” consumption. Maybe if we can find a way to justify it, we can feel better about ourselves. But it’s not up to us to turn the tides of a capitalist society. We can’t. And the romanticization of these trends has shifted the focus away from the real psychological issues at play.
TikTok fashion and beauty creator @prettycritical discusses in a recent video that the real problem with underconsumption core is that many people are neglecting the critical self work needed to overcome reckless spending — instead ironically opting to shop their way to a better self. “Shopping less is about facing your insecurities…there’s a lot of reasons that go into why people shop and they’re all painful to deal with. And so you’re going to try and buy your way to underconsumption.”
Once you buy the one perfect bag, or the one perfect water bottle, you can get rid of everything else. But it’ll never be enough. “Don’t get so enamored with the idea of being someone who under-consumes, that you forget to change the way you think,” she concludes.
It’s a similar issue in the sustainability industry at large. The real issues have been obscured by the guise of consumerism. Eco-friendly straws, sneakers, garments and packaging are often pricier than their conventional counterparts. While some of these products actually cost more to create, sustainable branding is increasingly used to premiumize such products, appealing to wealthy elite audiences looking to engage in lifestyle-based virtue signaling. In reality, sustainable minimalist living shouldn’t be expensive. It’s sustainable products and mainstream substitutes that perpetuate the myth that you need a new product. You can just shop less, walk more, start a garden, or make your own soap (the options are endless).
That’s not to mention the fact that while most people are cosplaying and romanticizing a low-income lifestyle, “underconsumption” is a harsh reality for many struggling Americans. Buying less isn’t a lifestyle choice, it’s a literal necessity.
I’m quite certain that there will be more iterations of “trends” like underconsumption and de-influencing in the future. But they are all misplaced attempts in a system that’s inherently broken. How do we get out?
Part of it is unlearning that we have to buy our way to a better self. But an even deeper quest is unlearning the quest of constant self-optimization. That’s what really has us trapped in this hedonic treadmill. Underconsumption feels like we’re neglecting the “important self work” social media has told us we need to do. That we’re one meditation course, breath work guide, or closet refresh away from becoming the best version of ourselves.
What we need is a good middle ground between the guilt of buying too much and the social performance of buying nothing at all. And some self help books (ideally borrowed from a friend or the library). We’re buying who we want to be instead of working on actually becoming it.
Great read, always my favorite alert when you drop a new post!
Really enjoyed this ❤️