Consumerism and the Enivornment
When discussing solutions to help solve climate change, often it involves doing more instead of less. Instead of encouraging people to drive less, the focus is often on research and development of more fuel efficient cars and electric cars. However, lifestyle and consumption changes need to be discussed more in how they affect climate change. A report conducted by C40 Cities in 2018 shows that for the top 100 cities, their consumption of goods and services make up 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Atkin, 2019). Social media has the ability to quickly and easily influence individual’s, however is its influence positive or negative in relation to encouraging consumerism?
TikTok's Influence
If you have spent any sort of time on TikTok I’m sure you have seen at least one video recommending a product to you and claiming it is a “must buy item”. In the past through social media we were largely influenced and marketed to purchase items through influencers, product placements and other brand advertisements. However, through TikTok I have noticed a shift in online creators whose entire page is dedicated to showcasing these “must buy” products. The hashtag “amazonfinds” has currently amassed 32.8 billion views on TikTok.
In addition to highlighting these products, TikTok has increased consumerism through microtrends in fashion, beauty and more. These trends are short lived but individuals are still influenced through TikTok to buy the products that then will sit unused in a few short weeks when the trend has died down. Corporations have even started using TikTok trends in their promotions. Indigo in store even has promotions online and in store for “Now Trending on BookTok” highlighting books that are frequently mentioned on TikTok. While these books are trending and being constantly mentioned it incites a need to be in the know and encourages people to buy these books, instead of reading more sustainably by waiting a few weeks to borrow the book from their library or purchasing it at a thrift store.
Overall, TikTok through a variety of methods has encouraged individuals to purchase more and increase their consumerism which has a negative effect on the environment.
Is TikTok the Villain?
Neither TikTok nor other social media sites are the sole reason for the increased consumerism as there are other societal factors in effect, such as inequality and competitiveness (Stewart, 2021). In spite of the overall negative impact of an influx of pressure and influence to buy products there are positives to TikTok’s influence. Personally, on my For You Page I kept seeing Loop earplugs, and people talking about how much they helped them. If it was not for TikTok I would have never heard about them or even considered noise cancelling earplugs to help me manage sensory issues I had. As well, in comparison to single use foam earplugs the loop earplugs are likely better for the environment for people that frequently use them. The eartips only have to be replaced every 6 months in comparison to the foam earplugs which are harder to clean and thus should be replaced every 2 weeks. This is just one example of how despite TikTok’s influence over consumers there are at times individual beneficial influences.