If you have been active on TikTok for the past couple of months, most likely, you have been advertised something through the TikTok shop. Whether it be a dill pickle sweatshirt or summer Fridays lip balm, TikTok shop is available to everyone. Of course, there’s an algorithm for product suggestions, but we just can’t escape it, especially when there’s a constant offer of coupons when purchasing through the social media platform. Even though it is quite tempting to purchase these items, it’s concerning how much we consume.
Admittedly, I have purchased from a TikTok shop. The deals were just a little too tempting especially since the week I purchased things I had just gotten paid. But I’ve noticed I can’t get past more than two videos without coming into contact with a paid advertisement and, of course, a link to purchase the item through a TikTok shop. It’s no longer obvious that we’re watching an ad, but it’s become integrated into the daily content that we consume through the app. However, with these tactics of applying coupons and fabrication through typical TikTok video format, we fall into the rabbit hole of overconsumption. We let good deals and influencers sway our perspective when it comes to purchasing items. Our purchases are not truly influenced by desire but influenced by marketing. So, we begin to purchase a cute bag or a desk chair, and it starts to become a domino effect when we add things to our carts. It’s become pretty concerning, especially for the app, whose main demographic is a younger audience. It’s become a possibility where financial irresponsibility becomes normalized simply because we become numb to advertisements and feel indifferent about our consumption of products. So options like TikTok shop fester overconsumption. Our purchases aren’t a result of our wants or our needs but simply a result of hearsay.
While I cannot say stopping people from using TikTok shop is the only solution, there is a solution available. Simply thinking about what you’re purchasing and putting thought into why you want something is the start. We have to take away the videos and ads and simply look at our consumption from a bigger standpoint. Where we become mindful not only of our purchases but our desires.