The speed at which trendy fashion, beauty, and lifestyle cycles emerge for Gen Z is insurmountable. It is almost impossible to keep up with the latest “it” thing. Being constantly bombarded with information and new products on social media, specifically on TikTok, makes it infeasible to ignore.
Boutayna Chokrane at Vogue wrote an article in 2023 called “What Is Deinfluencing? Unpacking TikTok’s Unlikeliest Shopping Trend” where she discussed the rising epidemic of overconsumption. Chokrane said, “In an era dominated by microtrends, the gravitational pull toward hyper-consumerism can feel unavoidable.”
And it does! Chokrane also went on to add that “In 2022, 28% of surveyed TikTok users reported making purchases due to celebrity or influencer endorsements,” but since 2023 more users have been leaning towards being deinfluenced in our world of hyperconsumption.
But what is deinfluencing? What does it mean? Chokrane interviewed Isais Hernandez, an environmental educator, and they defined deinfluencing as “a rapidly growing social media trend that purports to educate the general public on the need to divest away from obtaining or upholding an excess of products that are not needed in [our] daily lives.”
Social media users are heavily encouraged and influenced to buy overhyped things has been an issue for a while now, but it was especially relevant in 2022. Self-proclaimed “deinfluencers” emerged from the mass consumption era and in 2023 to today, the tables have turned.
Why are we constantly being spoon fed accessories for our Stanley water bottles (most of which are highly unnecessary) to make our hot girl walks more enjoyable? Or being led to believe the Dyson Airwrap is the best purchase to achieve the model-like picture we want to emulate?
The hyped up overconsumption feeds on the insecurities that we all have. If you are being told that, for example, the Dyson Airwrap will make you look like Gigi Hadid, you are likely to be convinced to purchase the Airwrap in a desperate attempt to look like Gigi Hadid. If you’re insecure about your hair, the cut, how you style it, the volume, etc., why would we not all be more vulnerable and susceptible to the promising ads and promotions we see online about it?.
No matter how self-assured and self-confident we all are, we still face the desperation to fit in at least once in our lives. I unfortunately understand that all too well, so I am more susceptible to targeted ads addressing my specific insecurities. The overconsumption trends can target that, knowing that we can often be easy targets to market their advertisements to. It’s extremely difficult to not fall into the mental trap of believing that purchasing an item will automatically fix your problems and insecurities.
I think some important questions to ask yourself are:
- Will I need this in a year, or even a month from now?
- Do I actually want it, or does it just seem like everyone around me has this one thing?
- If I left this in my cart, would I remember it’s in there? Would I still want it when I revisit it?
I think deinfluencing has bettered our society and our collective mental health. By not having unnecessary travel stuff shoved down our throats every time, we open TikTok to be a positive movement.
All of this is to say that being influenced by social media content isn’t all bad. Social media can help open you up to a world of new possibilities that you didn’t even know existed! However, there’s a fine line between regular consumption and overconsumption of trends that we have to be aware of. For example, do we need a third pair of sunglasses? Do I need a Ninja Creami (I still truly believe I do) just because it’s all over Instagram?
Retail therapy is fun and I do believe it helps people feel good about themselves — to a certain extent — so just take a step back the next time you’re debating your next purchase and think to yourself – do you really need it?