Tik Tok’s Overconsumption Problem

Introduction

As whole videos on TikTok become more and more popular, many people have been tempted by the materialistic impulses that social media encourages. This cycle of excessive consumption begins when viewers watch these extreme haul videos on social media, which prompts them to feel the need to make enormous purchases of their own. However, frequently these large buys lose purpose and are never seen again, forcing the consumer to buy more and more.

From an Ash Sleeping Lip Mask to Charlotte Tilbury Glow Sticks, TikTok has its viewers in a chokehold with beauty product recommendations. Get ready with me videos, which are admittedly enjoyable, are also extremely persuasive due to the undisclosed sponsorship deals with brands. Constantly doom scrolling through social media and being continuously fed more and more products is so overwhelming. As consumers, we wonder: will this product work better than the one we already have? Maybe this product will give us perfect skin or perfect hair. And the spiral leads to that product being added to your cart and shipped on its merry way to your doorstep.

With Michaela allegedly wearing false lashes to make hers appear more lengthened and lifted while promoting L'Oreal's Telescopic Lift Mascara, followers have become instantly cautioned not to be influenced by sponsored videos, which are frequently deceptive. We forget that influencers are being paid behind the scenes to advertise products to their best ability, which often leads to false advertising.

Even more worrisome than misleading marketing is the fact that consumers who freely spend their money on all these recommendations now feel betrayed that she lied to them. It’s as though people have lost all critical thinking skills and financial management. Instead of focusing on canceling a beauty guru for false claims, we should consider the larger issue here – we’ve all been falling for false advertisements for quite some time. Let's not forget the normalization of overconsumption through TikTok made me buy it hauls and organize my makeup with me videos.

When you are exposed to that level of materialism, you're inclined to feel a desire for it. Consumers stop buying products because they want to try them out and start purchasing products because they want to have them in their collection due to the luxurious brands and packaging. We see this through social media content where people show off their aesthetically pleasing display of beauty products, proud of the beautiful packaging. You cannot convince me that if it weren’t for the brand and packaging, products like Charlotte Tilbury and Dior would still be as well-known as they are now. This is because the brands and the packaging convey a sense of fulfillment, making buyers feel like they’ve made it. However, the sensation is merely temporary.

The beauty industry isn't selling you beauty products, it is selling a feeling of contentment. For the time being, you are satisfied, but once it wears off, you find yourself needing to spend more. We must not forget that at the end of the day, it is a business, and playing off your emotions to get those impulse buys is how they get your money.

We all already know about the huge fast fashion issue on social media, but what's making it worse is how quick everyone is to jump onto the next trend and follow blindly, spending at extreme rates. Consumers are so used to seeing huge packages and hauls by influencers who receive PR packages from multiple brands and will spend hundreds, if not thousands, to replicate the same for themselves. These clothing pieces are not bought with the intent to last or even be worn and will inevitably end up in landfills if not donated. We have become so used to seeing thousands of dollars worth of clothes being purchased at the same time that we have forgotten what responsible spending means.

Very few people buy clothes thinking in the long term, which has decreased the quality of clothing being sold over time, resulting in the need for repurchases. Remember these videos: Black Friday hauls and What I Got for Christmas videos on YouTube were the kickstart to the buying for the sake of buying trend and have become ingrained in influencer culture. Your hauls need to be extravagant, or they won’t rack in the views.

The problem is that now everyone is doing this. Where are you guys getting this freaking money? Seriously? Consumers being able to spend an absurd amount of money mixed with the convenience of online shopping has led to companies like Shein being insanely popular, especially since Shein is exclusively available online and can mass-manufacture trendy items in a matter of days to keep up with the fast fashion cycles.

Instead of waiting for higher quality versions of the clothing we want, we sacrifice quality to get Shein clothing that is trendy for the time being. This becomes evident as the cleaning out my closet craze takes hold. Consumers buy and buy, filling their closets until it’s time to wear the clothing more than once, at which point they abandon the purchase. The fashion industry has become quantity over quality, as people only want to show off the huge amounts of trendy clothing they purchase. That is until all the clothes go out of style in a matter of months, forcing the consumer to go out and buy more.

It's an amazing way to make a little extra money, I know. However, Amazon storefronts have brought a whole new level of advertisement to the table. Now everyone is trying to get everyone else to buy things and it’s just feeding the shopaholism. Seriously though, everything we’re consuming now on TikTok is just getting you to spend money. Even the smaller creators who are just posting cleanup videos or study vlogs, no one is safe. It’s no wonder we've all been brainwashed into believing we need everything we see on social media. Everyone has become a salesperson, showing their new finds, must-have dupes, and favorite deals. It goes on and on.

This content makes the products seem like a necessity in order to get your life together. Your life's a mess? Here, buy clear containers to organize your fridge and drawers. Buy the skincare fridge so you can be that girl. Buy all these satin pajamas to make yourself feel glamorous. Oh my God, ridiculous is an understatement. I can assure you, you do not need all that to be productive and maintain a healthy routine. People have started capitalizing on this shift in prioritizing self-care and mental health by feeding this belief that in order to do these things, you need to spend money. A walk in the park is free, guys.

TikTok provides incredibly specific and effective content for everyone; therefore, it’s no surprise that their low-key advertising is so powerful. You're told you need these items to be a particular type of person, then you need these products to feel the way you want to feel. And when you're exposed to that ideology for long enough, it starts to stick.

We need to be more cautious of what we see on social media since, at the end of the day, its primary source of revenue will be advertising, and we are the ones subjected to the excessive amount of marketing.

We’ll end it off with one final note: bring back gatekeeping. We’ll all be richer without it.

Keywords

• TikTok
• Hauls
• Overconsumption
• Sponsored Videos
• False Advertising
• Beauty Products
• Fast Fashion
• Influencer Culture
• Financial Management
• Marketing Strategies

FAQ

Q: What drives the overconsumption trend on TikTok? A: The overconsumption trend is driven by persuasive haul videos, undisclosed sponsorship deals, deceptive advertising, and the normalization of materialism on social media.

Q: How do sponsored videos on TikTok affect consumer behavior? A: Sponsored videos can be extremely persuasive and often lead to impulse buys. They can also result in deceptive marketing practices where influencers are paid to advertise products, sometimes leading to false claims about the product's effectiveness.

Q: What impact does overconsumption have on the fashion industry? A: Overconsumption has shifted the fashion industry towards fast fashion, focusing on quantity over quality. This behavior leads to increased waste and decreased quality of clothing as consumers frequently buy and discard trendy items.

Q: Why is the packaging of beauty products so influential? A: The packaging and branding of beauty products convey a sense of luxury and fulfillment, making consumers feel like they are part of an exclusive group, leading to a temporary feeling of contentment that encourages further purchases.

Q: How can consumers be more cautious with their spending influenced by social media? A: Consumers can be more cautious by critically evaluating the necessity of products, being aware of marketing tactics, and resisting impulse buys inspired by social media trends. They should also be mindful of the long-term value and quality of the products they purchase.