It’s no surprise that TikTok has over 2 billion users. The app offers endless entertainment, global connection, and the ability to learn new things and skills. However, TikTok is more than just a social platform—it’s also a worldwide marketplace, a battleground for creator partnerships, and a powerful money-making tool for businesses and corporations. While it is fun to indulge in content like shopping hauls, makeup reviews, and “Amazon must-haves,” there are downsides to this. TikTok is promoting a new wave of consumer culture that harms our planet and our society.
A striking statistic from SproutSocial revealed that 37% of Americans under 60 have purchased something on TikTok Shop, with each averaging $59 per purchase.
As a frequent TikTokerr, I find this number unsurprising. Most of those purchases likely came from a creator influencing the product on their For You Page (FYP). Not only that, it’s very convenient with purchasers one orange click the orange away. Not to mention, there are over 500k merchants on TikTok Shop, which is constantly expanding—ranging from small businesses to well-known brands such as Pacsun, Fenty Beauty, Steve Madden, and more. Now, you don’t even have to leave the app to shop for all your favorite products. This easy access, combined with constant influence promotion, creates a recipe for disaster.
Looking deeper into consumers’ spending habits, it’s noteworthy that in 2024, beauty and personal care products were TikTok Shops’ top sellers (Sprout Social). This influence is something I can personally attest to. A few years ago, I found myself on BeautyTok. The content included Sephora hauls, makeup tutorials, and reviews of brand-new products. The more I scrolled, the more products I was influenced to buy. At first, I fell into the trap, buying almost anything I saw—or at least adding it to my cart.
For instance, around 2022-2023, the lip oil craze took over. If you were on BeautyTok (like I was), then you KNOW. Lip oils took the internet by storm. As a result of the new trend craze, many brands started making their own lip oils. Each claimed they had an innovative formula. But really, how much differentiation could even be possible between brands? A lip oil is a lip oil. Yet, the next thing you know, I have 3 different ones. What’s the difference between that and a lip gloss? No clue. I don’t really think there is much difference. But that didn’t stop consumers (including myself) from selling out the shelves at Sephora.
Keep in mind, I already had plenty of other lip products, but I just wanted the new trendy thing. This pattern continued, and now, my makeup drawer is stuffed to the brim. So, at what point do we stop and use what we already have? Besides, you can only wear so many products at once, so do I really need another pink blush?
This doesn’t just stop at makeup; it can really be anything. Overconsumption is defined as the action or fact of consuming something to excess, and there’s no doubt that TikTok prompts this. Through the various microtrends (trends that rise as quickly as they fall) and aesthetics such as “clean girl” and “cottage core,” consumers feel pressured to keep purchasing new things to fit in. In fact, a poll conducted by Shift, a London-based fashion company, confirmed this. “74% of people aged 14-27 said they felt pressured to purchase new clothes after watching haul videos, and 66% admitted to purchasing more clothing after joining TikTok” (The Gauntlet).
There’s definitely nothing wrong with buying new clothes. However, if you’re buying clothes just because they’re trendy and “aesthetic,” are you still gonna wear that garment a year from now? Especially after something else replaces it? The answer for most people is no. Studies show the number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in 15 years, with 2.6 million tons of returned clothes ending up in landfills in 2020 in the US alone (earth.org). Why is this concerning? Well, in that same year, 16 million tons of CO2 emissions were created by online returns in the US, which is the equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year (earth.org). In a nutshell, this means consumers are becoming more and more wasteful, and it’s not only hurting your wallet but also significantly harming our planet.
Additionally, because of social media, the trend cycles are moving faster than ever, resulting in consumers creating more waste at a faster rate. Just look at the reusable water bottle trends. First, it was Hydroflask. Everyone during the 2019 VSCO girl era had a Hydro Flask filled with colorful stickers. I had a bright pink one. Ironically, this trend began with the intention of saving the turtles and creating less plastic waste. However, I think it’s safe to say we’ve lost the plot. Then, in 2023-2024, Stanleys took over. I mean, EVERYONE had a Stanley. Videos of customers fighting over “limited edition” Stanleys went viral on TikTok. Keep in mind, it’s just a water bottle. People started fights over a water bottle that spilled after being tipped over. I happen to own 2 Stanleys…both of different colors. Why? I don’t know. I didn’t need a Stanley, and I definitely didn’t need two of them, considering I already had a perfectly good working Hydroflask. Now Owalas and Hydrojugs are the “new thing”…I think.
What do all these products have in common? They are all waste. Products that will collect dust in cabinets and eventually in our landfills and oceans. What started as a movement to save the turtles has turned into doing the exact opposite, just in a different form. All with TikTok in the driver’s seat.
Back in early 2023, to combat the ever-growing overconsumption, many TikTok creators began flipping the narrative in their videos. They started “de-influencing” their audience instead of “influencing” them, and now #de-influencing has over 113.4 million views. Essentially, they talked about products they considered over hyped and promoted their audience to practice more mindful spending. For example, TikToker Chelsea Madison has an entire 11-part series of de-influencing her 945.6k followers. In her videos, she reveals which popular makeup, bodycare, and haircare products she finds overhyped and not worth buying. Her series is pretty popular with her “Day 1 of de-influencing” video currently sitting at 7.6M views. It’s refreshing to see real, honest content rather than creators just trying to make money off their sponsorships.
Furthermore, TikToker Angie puts her own spin on the trend—expanding beyond makeup products and clothes. In her video “Deinfluencing You in 30 seconds,” she reminds her audience, “Driving the same car for over a decade is normal. Packing lunch every day for your 9-5 is normal. Reusing gift bags for the holiday season is normal.” With the video currently holding 14.2M views and 3.5M likes, it’s evident that people enjoy de-influencing content (me included).
As a result of these videos, I’ve been trying to approach shopping with a different mindset. I try to stop and ask myself, Do I really need this? Do I NEED another basic white tank top, just of a different material? The answer is always no. No, you don’t need another lip gloss with iridescent sparkles. You already have 10 lip glosses that all look nearly the same!
I’m not saying everyone should stop buying new things. However, what I am saying is that as consumers, we should be a little more mindful of what we are buying. We should try to use up things we already have before buying new ones, especially with makeup, clothing, and skincare. If there are clothes you’re no longer wearing, donate them! If you already have a setting spray, you don’t need to buy another one, even if your favorite influencer tells you it’s on sale for 25% off. For someone who doesn’t care about shopping, this might seem like common sense; however, it’s really easy to fall into a trap of just buying stuff to buy it. Especially in the era of social media, where products are shoved into your face every second. So if you struggle with buying things without any intention, I challenge you to stop and ask yourself,
“Do I really need this?’
Most times you’ll find….the answer is no.
