TikTok is Shaping Gen Z’s Purchases
From clothing hauls to fridge restocks, the way we think about our everyday purchases is changing.
(Getty Images)
No, you don’t need that new kitchen gadget, a new tank top in all the colors, nor all those skin care products. Still, TikTok will influence you to buy everything. Once a platform for music and dancing, now sprawling with influencer’s ads fueling fast fashion and impulsive spending in mass.
In a Vogue Business article on the sustainability of fashion shopping hauls, “Experts say hauls have grown in popularity because Gen Z uses social media as a discovery tool, in the same way previous generations might use Google.” As a Gen Z shopper myself, I find this insight to be true. If I hear about a product I might be interested in buying, TikTok reviews for that product will be one of the main guides in my purchasing decisions.
A survey done by KPMG found that Gen Z in Asia-Pacific ranked social commerce (63%) and live streaming commerce (57%) as important to their shopping experience. For this generation that grew up with the internet and digital devices in their everyday lives, an influencer’s opinion is extremely valuable.
However, TikTok is a tricky site, since some influencers will be paid to feature a company’s product in a video or to even give a good review. Although content creators are supposed to disclose their ads, many of them will jump through hoops to hide that information in order to seem more authentic.
Influencers with armfuls of the same boring clothing is far from sustainable, but they’re damn fun to watch. Critics of these kinds of hauls say that they’re encouraging buying in excess, promoting reckless spending, and perpetuating a culture of throwaway fashion.
Fast-changing trends lead to fast production and even faster use, due to the cheap fabrics and lack of stress-testing. 2023 statistics from Earth.org state that some clothing items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. Bye-bye to repairing our clothes, and hello to vicious cycles of buying and disposing.
“Throwaway culture” doesn’t stop at our fashion choices either. Even the most “sustainable” items in our lives take resources to make and have a questionable afterlife.
@brennan.kai #stitch with @kaeli mae I have lots of thoughts on this topic… but the normalization of overconsumption genuinely messes with my head in the worst way. What are your thoughts? #m#minimalisms#sustainabilityz#zerowastel#lowwastep#plasticfrees#sustainablee#ecohomee#environmentalistf#foodwastem#minimalistf#foodwastetipf#foodwastesolutionf#foodwastepreventionc#compostc#cookingr#recipes#slowlivingslowlifestyle #deinfluencing #deinfluencer #overconsumption ♬ original sound – Brennan Kai
TikTok influencer and sustainability advocate, Brennan Kai spoke about the impact of “restocking videos” on not only the environment, but the way we think about success. “Our needs are met and yet we still feel like we don’t have enough,” Kai stated, “Because this idea of ‘making it’ in the United States really is having more than your neighbor, having more than you need.”
Now, a new TikTok trend is looking to move past this culture of excessive consumerism. It’s called “Underconsumption Core,” which consists of using what you have until it breaks or is completely used up. Discourse surrounding this trend notes that what is being called “underconsumption” is actually just normal consumption. Still, compared to the rampant advertising of overconsumption all over the Internet, the name is fitting.
@thedigifairy I guess the cores are back #underconsumptioncore #overconsumption #consumerism #sustainability #sustainablefashion #fashiontiktok #beautytok #fyp #foryoupage ♬ Pop beat BGM / long version(1283324) – nightbird_bgm
Even though “Underconsumption Core” is far from a groundbreaking idea (Think of the “minimalism” and “deinfluencing” trends prior), any trend that addresses the importance of individual consumption is a great step towards sustainable living.
We’ve been marketed the idea that we will never have enough stuff, but our individual actions can empower us to demand more from big corporations and governments. So before you think about buying into the latest trend, step back and engage in more mindful spending.
Knives Nguyen (they/he/she), is a journalist from the Bay Area who covers entertainment, culture and student life. You can connect with them on LinkedIn: @knivesnguyen.
Edited by Nykeya Woods