spotlight
One of Julie George’s most popular TikTok videos this summer highlights some of the quality items she owns and cherishes. That’s some nice jewelry, a pair of Ray-Bans, and a nearly empty bottle of YSL perfume. Like many popular influencer videos, it feels extravagant and aspirational. but george’s video This is not an attempt to get you to buy the items she shows off, nor is it a celebration of anything new. This is an example of a different kind of trend sweeping social media: the under-consumption core, a new take on minimalism for 2024.
“I first learned about underconsumption as a trend on TikTok at the beginning of this summer, I think June or July, and I immediately thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never been so involved with anything on social media. I thought, ‘This has never happened before,”’ George said. Financial manager and podcaster based in Austin, Texas. whose account It is described as “life in your 30s.”
She said George has always been active on social media, promoting his various side hustles, including his podcast and his previous work as a fitness and nutrition coach. But she always had an aversion to influencer culture. “This is terrible for the environment. There’s a constant flow of shopping and discount codes, and we need this and we need that,” she says.
When she discovered underconsumption, she felt like she had found her corner of the internet. Her July video, titled “The Heart of Underconsumption as a Luxury Minimalist,” quickly racked up more than 2 million views. Since then, she has continued to use her platform to share insights into how she embodies underconsumption and minimalism. It’s a journey she’s been on since her 20s, when she began to question the amount of stuff she had accumulated in her home due to frequent moves. In another of her recent videosGeorge tells how underconsumption “completely changed my life.” She is preparing to move again, and she says that this time it was much easier to sort and pack.
Julie George’s first underconsumption video. The caption reads, “A trend we can finally catch up on.” Julie George / TikTok
Under-consumed core (“core“ is a suffix that essentially defines something as a trend and is unified by a certain aesthetic or mindset) generally means reuse and reduction. Videos are often set over soothing background music. Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” or Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” — and the show’s creators proudly display the lifespan of their favorite possessions and how they use every last drop of product. A simple yet cute tank top that has been a wardrobe staple for years. All the poster needs is a dirty, reusable water bottle. A makeup palette that hit the bun (i.e. bottom-worn).
The creators see this as a counter to the prevailing norm of overconsumption, which is increasingly promoted by social media. This norm contributes to various environmental ills.increasingly poor quality) From the raw materials used to produce a steady stream of new products, to the emissions from shipping goods around the world, to the waste that clogs landfills (or ends up being burned in deserts).
On platforms such as Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram, Brands create a boom with the latest gadgets or clothing style, influencers show off bulk shoppingand the platform itself makes it incredibly easy to “shop now” with just a simple tap. (A few months ago, TikTok launched a partnership Allows users to purchase on Amazon without leaving the app. )
Why core consumption is insufficient and why now?
Since its debut this summer, the hashtag #underconsumption has garnered more than 20,000 posts on TikTok (though it’s nowhere near tags like #wicked or #chappellroan, it has somehow reached many mainstream users. (more than enough to mean it arrived). It’s the latest evolution in a movement that rejects overconsumption and favors more conscious, budget-conscious and sustainable habits, building on trends such as: remove the influence (A 2023 trend where social media users explicitly reject the idea of influence and instead seek to persuade their followers do not have to buy trendy new items), year of not buyingand even minimalism inspired by Marie Kondo.
“I feel like I’m at ground zero of core underconsumption,” Jade Taylor said. moda menschA sustainable fashion content creator with over 120,000 followers on TikTok. “I grew up in a low-income environment, and I always grew up with the idea that sustainability was just something you did out of necessity.”
She considers underconsumption a much more accessible form of minimalism than some of its predecessors. You don’t have to throw away a lot of stuff, set strict limits for yourself, or achieve a certain aesthetic. Instead, we celebrate durable items that last a long time and use every last drop – something that’s easy on the wallet and light on the planet.
Taylor (who uses both she and he pronouns) also has a theory as to why this particular trend appeared in the summer of 2024. But climate insecurity and economic instability are also to blame,” he said. “The reason people are sticking with this idea is because they are becoming more aware of the impact we have on the environment as consumers and the role influencer marketing has played in that.”
Climate change ranks high on the list of concerns for Gen Z and Millennials, who are continually demanding greater sustainability from the companies they shop with. More than 50% of respondents in 2024 Deloitte survey reported avoiding fast fashion or planning to do so in the future.
The survey found that the cost of living was the biggest concern for members of both generations, even more so than the climate. About 30% of participants said they felt financially insecure, and nearly 60% said they were living between paydays.
“These blatant displays of wealth are now insensitive and outrageous, because how are these influencers going to buy this $300 makeup product when so many of their viewers can’t even afford to have a roof over their heads?” ” Taylor said.
what’s next
The economic appeal of an under-consumption core was echoed by others I spoke to. mia mcgratha London-based TikToker focused on personal finance. “I think underconsumption and frugality have a lot in common,” McGrath says. “I think the cost of living and inflation are helping to push this trend to the forefront.”
As a result, some of the underconsumption core principles could be mirrored by producers as well, she said, as brands compete over what consumers want and how much to buy. . “I think we’ll see more brands pushing timeless and versatile basics as people become less experimental and more keen to invest in pieces that will last,” she said.
In an underconsumed video released in July, Shelby Ohm shows off a cracked mirror she’s salvaged from the trash and used for years. Shelby Ohm / TikTok
In other words, if the under-consumption core can avoid some of the pitfalls of the minimalism trend that came before it, it may have been short-lived or taken over by influencer culture as another way to promote a certain look and lifestyle. It’s either. You need to buy different types of products. This happened by weakening influence, Taylor said. Influencers were quick to jump on the trend, claiming that they were “stealing influence” from their followers from certain viral products and instead recommending other, purportedly better products. “Influencers are sort of the apex predators of the consumerist environment,” she says. “They’re always adapting.”
However, some Observers of this trendand even some creators themselves are quick to point out that “underconsumption” is actually a lot like normal consumption. It’s not necessarily about hardcore sustainability or minimalism, but more of a reality check on traditionally ostentatious consumption. Characteristics of influencer culture.
“We peek into people’s closets and homes every day on social media more than our brains intended,” he says. shelby ohmis a longtime sustainability advocate and content creator with approximately 275,000 TikTok followers. “I think people are just hungry to be told that other people are going through the same thing as them, which is why this trend has become so big,” she says.
Ohm believes that the core of underconsumption reflects a desire for something more real on social media, a shift in mindset away from picture-perfect moments and unrealistic lifestyles. are. “It’s good to see that there are other people out there living a life where they don’t overdose all the time.”
Whatever happens with this trend, Ohm et al. I see it as part of the movement. And as economic uncertainty continues and sustainability concerns grow, many people are content to consume less rather than more.
“My hope is that as these little trends explode, more people will notice them and have more conversations with their friends and family,” Ohm said. That’s how we sustain human life on this planet — because ultimately that’s where this conversation is going. ”
— Claire Ellis Thompson
further exposure
parting shot
This is an attempt at a post about underconsumption for you all. This simple little mug is my favorite. Re-gifted by a co-worker who got it at the 2019 Grist Holiday Exchange and never used it. I still use it almost every day. (This photo, in the interest of full transparency, is on my very messy desk. I’m not a minimalist! But working on this story definitely meant that I was in my closet or in my house.) It inspired me to keep thinking more carefully about new things to add to ).
