By “I recently bought *insert item here* from *insert shop here* and it has absolutely changed my life!”
Influencing has been around way before the creation of the Internet, but as of 2023, there has been a massive surge in users consuming every remotely-trendy product on the market.
The first wave of people purchasing trendy items from the Internet was due to Tumblr and Instagram. Now, the main influencing app is TikTok.
From hauls to get ready with me’s, the app has normalized a “the more I have, the more I’m worth” mindset.
In September 2023, “TikTok Shop” was introduced to the app and serves as a place for creators to sell items through direct links on videos.
The shop generated $363 million in consumer spending in November of 2023.
TikTok’s dominating control stems from its influencers advocating products from either TikTok Shop, or stores like Sephora, Temu and Shein.
Within the past year, popular items advertised by TikTok users consist of Stanley Tumblers, lip products from Summer Fridays and the chamoy pickle.
Fast fashion companies like Shein and Temu have also taken the world by storm.
According to reports from MobiLoud, Temu made $3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2023 and Shein made an estimated $24 billion in revenue in 2022, which is an $8 billion dollar jump from the $416 billion they made in 2021.
In a survey conducted by UNiDAYS, 59 percent of 20 million responders consider themselves woke, but one-in-four don’t know where their clothes are made.
If the consumer cannot afford or find their sizing in other brands and buys from Shein, then it can be excused if they keep the item for a while.
However, for the most part, we should be doing more to raise our awareness towards the impacts of fast fashion.
One major impact from the production of fast fashion is the increase in microfibers. Microfibers cannot be extracted from water, which causes the food of marine wildlife to be polluted.
Aside from pollution, TikTok has birthed one of the most popular discussions since the app’s creation, “Sephora kids.”
In January 2024, Natalia Noelle, an employee at Sephora, uploaded a video on TikTok sharing her experience with a 10-year-old at Sephora.
Noelle explains how a little girl was checking out at her register with a cart consisting of $900 worth of products.
The little girl proceeded to display an attitude towards her mother who was critiquing the price and ended up walking away with a cart totaling up to $500.
This video, which remains one of many that went viral regarding this topic, stirred discussions about parenting and the influence of TikTok “get ready with me” videos.
I can understand why these little girls, who are one sliver of such a broad audience that is easily swayed into trying products, could develop the mentality of “I need this product because this girl has it.”
I used to feel like I needed the newest makeup palette or pair of designer sneakers, simply because my favorite YouTube creator had it. It makes sense that this phenomenon has translated into modern times.
Succumbing to TikTok influencing is simply rooted within wanting to be liked. In this digital age, nobody wants to feel left out.
An influencer’s goal is to have viewers give into their elaborate and targeted marketing for their own profit. However, our curiosity is begging to be satiated when we constantly see these products that everyone is discussing on our screens.
Living has become too expensive these days. Reminding ourselves that the state of our current economy is fragile is another way to curb the consumption craze.
There will never be a definite end to overconsumption, but the best place to start is by minimizing the content that we consume.
