How TikTok is feeding our consumption culture
- Abigail Knowles
- Apr 14, 2021
- 3 min read
I thank TikTok for bringing some joy into my life during those dark, lonely, pandemic months. Honestly, it really was a light. I wasn't having much social interaction, I was tired of my normal shows, and it provided me with a good laugh. However, I quickly began to notice that TikTok was beginning to awaken and stir the beast inside of me that impulsively consumed.
When I sit down to scroll on my TikTok feed, I would say that almost every third video is recommending some sort of product to me. Whether it is subtly or clearly marked as an ad, products are thrown in my face. Skincare, hair care, cool gadgets, trendy clothes, and tons of makeup products are constantly being used or recommended. It made me want to buy and try out a lot of new things or things I never even thought I needed. For example, because of TikTok (and my lack of self control lol) I have tried out 3 new shampoos, 6 new skincare products, bought 5 new makeup products, and exponentially added to my amazon wishlist. I have also been inspired to buy new clothing of certain styles and new hair tools. Now, I am a pretty frugal person (though you might think otherwise after this list), but when I saw these things time after time on my TikTok feed, I found it difficult to resist the buy.
I know that I am not alone in this habit. I worked at Target over the summer and had a front row seat to each TikTok trend. When something went viral on TikTok, our shelves would be totally empty of those items for weeks. Even now when I go to the store I can't find many of those items. Brands like Cerave, Winky Lux, Shea Moisture, and e.l.f. still consistently fly off the shelves.
TikTok has an extremely large audience. It has over 6 billion lifetime downloads and has over 100 million users in the United States alone. The biggest power of TikTok though comes from the engagement of influencers with followers. Check out these stats from Business of Apps:
Influencers are engaging with their followers at a much higher rate than previous social media apps, broadening their ability to influence. This feeds the beast that is consumption culture.
My question for everyone is this: Do we really truly need this stuff? I can tell you that you probably don't. We don't need 7 different types of foundation. I know it's fun and it can make us happy and I certainly am not here to shame anybody. I do think it is important to reflect on and analyze our consumption however. Consuming drives climate change and that is fact that will remain true whether we address it or not.
I myself am guilty of feeding the beast of consumption within me. I love a nice night out shopping with the girls as much as anyone. However, as I learn more about the environmental and social impacts of my purchases, I discovered that I need to be more conscious and careful about them. Being an informed consumer takes time and research, but if the environment and mankind are things that you care about, it is worth both that time and brain power!
Quick Redeeming Quality -> I have actually stumbled upon a lot of environmental and zero waste creators that have influenced my thinking and inspired me to do make changes in my life!
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PREACH! Such a powerful statement!