If you’ve been on TikTok in the past year, you’ve probably seen videos upon videos promoting and advertising for “TikTok Shop.” If you’ve ever clicked on the shoppable links attached to TikTok videos or user profiles, you’ve most likely seen incredibly cheap products, like clothing or skincare. Sounds amazing, right? Although TikTok Shop might seem like an easy and budget-friendly shopping platform, it has caused controversy due to its environmental and economic impacts.
Like most other Gen Z young adults, I am constantly searching for discounts and cheap clothes. There’s no shame in wanting to save money and still look cute. So what’s the harm in buying from TikTok Shop? TikTok Shop follows the “fast-fashion” business module of selling low-priced clothes that are quickly produced to keep up with the current trends in fashion and on social media. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, data from 2015 showed that over 97% of materials used for clothing production were virgin feedstock (brand-new materials like cotton or plastic), and only 2% of the materials came from recycling. 73% of produced clothing went into landfills or were incinerated. It’s been almost ten years since this data was collected, and the production of clothing has increased drastically since then.
According to emarketer.com, over 11% of US households have purchased items through TikTok Shop since its launch in September 2023. 81.3% of TikTok shop sales came from existing customers in February 2024, a 17.3% increase from four months prior. TikTok Shop shares customers with other fast-fashion companies, with 28% of Shein’s customers and 25% of Temu’s customers also shopping on TikTok Shop. With retail prices rising and online shopping becoming the primary shopping method of the 21st century, more opportunities are opening up for heavily discounted products that circulate and change with trending styles. Many people have recognized the harms of fast fashion since Shein and Temu gained popularity, but seem to not speak up on these dangers when it comes to TikTok Shop.
TikTok Shop has hidden its environmental impacts and unethical labor sourcing by encouraging all TikTok users who meet the eligibility requirements to open up their own TikTok Shop or to promote products sold on the app. This can trick many viewers into impulsively buying and over-consuming because their favorite influencers are promoting it. Fast fashion produces 10% of global carbon emissions per year. While alternative and cheap shopping methods might be tempting, we need to reflect on how this impacts the environment and how we can stop the promotion of overconsumption on social media.