TikTok is boasting a new trend of 'underconsumption core.' For a platform accused of driving vapid over-consumerism and churning out trends like they're (literally) going out of fashion, can it join the conversation of sustainability in this manner?
It seems like every time one logs onto TikTok, a new trend has magically appeared – from #BratGirlSummer to #VeryDemure. In fact, the social media platform has been blamed for perpetuating the ultra-consumerist culture we live in, as users buy into these short-lived fads.
Can “underconsumption core” help counter this, though? The hashtag has seen TikTok users show how they’re buying less and buying better – whether it’s having the same pair of sunglasses for eight years, or using every last drop of a beauty product. “To me, ‘underconsumption core’ means making use of what you already own, not buying into every trend you see on social media and living with a sustainability mindset,” Natalia Trevino Amaro, designer and slow fashion advocate, tells Vogue.
In many ways, underconsumption core is just common sense. Should we really be making a song and dance about finishing a serum before buying a new one, or having just one pair of sandals? “I think the problem is that social media, influencer culture and the constant stream of shopping hauls have distorted our perceptions of what should be ‘normal’ consumption,” Julie George, host of The Brown Girl Podcast, whose recent TikTok on “underconsumption core as a luxury minimalist” has racked up nearly two million views.
Of course, minimalism is by no means a new thing – but there are a number of reasons why it’s trending right now. “Firstly, younger generations are facing immense financial and economical pressures,” says Omar H Fares, a lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University who specialises in consumer behaviour. “Secondly, consumers are becoming more conscious of the environment, especially younger consumers. This level of growing consciousness may be a driving factor in consuming less.”
As with many social media trends, though, there is likely a degree of performativity involved. Some of the users who have been posting under #underconsumptioncore have continued to show off their shopping hauls afterwards. “Younger individuals who are consistently under pressure to project an image of perfection on social media may be driven by [wanting to seem] responsible to others, as opposed to genuine altruism,” Fares continues.
Indeed, considering that Earth Overshoot Day – the day each year where our consumption of resources exceeds what the Earth can cope with – was on 1 August this year, it’s clear that there’s only so far these individual actions can go when it comes to tackling the enormous environmental challenges we’re facing.
Still, like 2023’s deinfluencing trend – which started with beauty influencers telling people which products they shouldn’t buy – underconsumption core is a pleasing antidote to the constant pressure to buy more on social media. “At the very least, it can raise awareness and encourage people to rethink their consumption habits,” George says.
Originally published on British Vogue