Today’s world runs on having more than needed. Everyone wants to seem perfect, fit into our society, and are constantly trying to keep up with trends in fashion and material wealth. Consumerism has made a large amount of our ideals relate to the consumption of goods and services, therefore we want to have what everyone else has and blend into today's world, losing our individuality in the process. Trends continue to change, and fashion continues to go out of style. This leads to the issue of over consumption.
The Issue
We are easily influenced to purchase unnecessary goods. Over 35% of customers say their impulse purchases are from popular trends. Due to influence from so many creators, we want to follow the trends everyone else does, so no one sticks out. Currently, a trend in consumerism is the Stanley Cup. Even though the cup is reusable, videos on TikTok or YouTube beg to differ. Many content creators these days have more than 10 cups, completely contradicting the idea of a reusable water bottle. The bottle itself is no different from any other, but because of social media influence, everyone is now blindly following the crowd. This trend is quickly evolving, as the Owala water bottle is currently on the rise. Before the Owala, there was the Hydro Flask, and before the Hydro Flask, there was the Yeti. These trends do not understand the purpose of each of the water bottles. The point of them is to be reusable, to not overbuy material things, and to have only one water bottle for everything. The influence of having more has also led to a loss in understanding good craftsmanship and understanding the value of quality. Nowadays, it is always quantity over quality. Why buy a few high-quality shirts from a trustworthy brand, when it is purchasable for $3 off of Shein? This mindset contributes to the idea of fast fashion, where hundreds of cheaply-made clothing items are sold for just pennies, and these clothing items are quickly discarded, as the materials are easily wear down.
The Corruption of Aesthetics
There are always new trends appearing everyday. When a lot of people start to follow a specific trend, usually revolving around outfits, it becomes an aesthetic. These trends can create a sense of consciousness and feelings of not being enough for not being able to follow along with the next aesthetic or keep up with the latest trends. All past uniqueness and differences between goods and consumers have ceased to exist. As today’s world continues to urge society onto the same path, the loss of individuality becomes more apparent every year. Instead, of everyone trying to develop their own personal style, everyone follows what is newly trending on social media.
Overall, consumerism today has been affected, because of how fast trends spread from social media, and because of this we have a big issue with over consumption. We keep polluting our planet with hundreds of jeans and dresses, ignorant to the fact we prioritize want over need. I hope the next time you plan to make a purchase that seems unnecessary, you remember this article and how you've been brainwashed into believing your existing possessions are not enough.
Sources:
“Are ‘Core’ Aesthetics Promoting Consumerism?” Varsity Online www.varsity.co.uk/fashion/27798
“The Evil Fashion Giant: Shein and the Perpetuation of Overconsumption” Opentext.ku.edu.
“The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment” Princeton Student Climate Initiative psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment.
“The Excessive Nature of Overconsumption in American Culture – UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog” sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2023/10/24/the-excessive-nature-of-overconsumption-in-american-culture/.
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