With social media, advertising and shopping have never been easier. The rise of the internet and various social media platforms has caused a massive spike in overconsumption. As a result, overproduction has caused air pollution to grow, loss of biodiversity and deforestation.
Social Media Influencers have normalized this excessive spending for their own personal and financial gain. While it’s no secret that influencers can be paid to give a positive review for a product, now they can advertise a certain type of lifestyle: lavish but wasteful.
But the app that fuels and glamorizes it the most? Tik Tok. Influencers promote a 15 step hand care routine, complete with luxury skincare in plastic containers that you’ll have to repeatedly replace… Everything down to your water bottle should be over accessorized; not because it’s normal-but because it’s desirable.
Maybe your Stanley water bottle you spent $45 needs accessories! A tiny backpack attachment, a clip on fan, a lip balm holder attached to the handle, an attachable hook for your keys Most importantly, don’t forget your layered ice mold with three different rings of ice! Lastly, a custom name plate and straw charm so everyone knows it’s yours! After calculating the average Stanley accessory video, the consumer spends about $63.99 (Not including the cup) “accessorizing” their cup.
This excessive lifestyle’s environmental impact is substantial. The production alone is filled with non-recyclable plastics and unnecessary packaging. That clear plastic packaging that 99% of all fast fashion and online retailers use to package their items will outlive you!
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.” Most of these purchases will be discarded within a year, but will stay in a landfill for over 500 years, never fully breaking down.
This is where companies must pivot towards creating products that prioritize sustainability over profit. Whether you know it or not the consumer votes with their dollar. Every purchase you make supports that company but without your dollar they cannot continue their harmful ways. As consumers, we have the power to demand change by supporting brands and companies that prioritize sustainability.
The earth is sending us clear signals: we need to slow down. Minimize the production of wasteful products and mindless consumerism.
Individually, stop and question your habits. Do you really need this product? Will you keep using it after it stops trending? Collectively, we need to stop chasing short term validation and shopping “highs” at the expense of long term environmental health. By making mindful decisions, we can reverse the cycle of overconsumption and preserve the planet.