In this day and age, the products available to consumers are exponentially higher than ever before. The use of smartphones and social media has all played a part in influencing people to buy an endless array of gadgets, fast fashion, and the latest trends, making it easier than ever to indulge in the latest item. Having the idea that buying something will make your life easier, more exciting, or better in general. Because of this Influx of instant gratification, a growing number of people are beginning to wonder: How much is too much? This idea of a culture of overconsumption means consuming available goods and services in large quantities that exceed the limit of personal needs or environmental sustainability– It’s not anything new, but instead has increasingly become more relevant in modern consumerism. From taking part in a cycle of fast fashion to constantly buying the latest technology device upgrades, overconsumption has become more than just an economic issue; but a social and environmental one too.
With the rise of digital media, smartphones have increasingly become a more important part of everyday life. From waking up to hundreds of buzzing notifications, and scrolling on social media during class, to then using it to relax after a long day it’s become more convenient to just pick up your phone and scroll all day long. In the digital age, seeing advertisements or influencers on the for you page trying to convince you to buy something is impossible. Often blurring the lines between what is a want and a need, these platforms all want one thing from consumers– their money. With the convenience of online shopping, it’s become progressively easier and faster to spend more money. For example, apps like TikTok have added an in-app shop feature that allows users to purchase and receive commissions through promoting or buying items. “The tiktok for You page has kinda turned into a marketplace like every video is someone trying to get you to buy something from the shop,” said sophomore Brooklynn Rezba at Rochester High School. Within trends that make you already want to buy the product, flash discount sales and live streams of people yelling at their viewers to buy it now before it sells out have caused consumers to rush to purchase, impulsively buying something they wouldn’t have if they had given it a second thought.
In social media, trends, and popular products tend to reach younger audiences even when not intended to. In early 2024, a trend of Sephora Kids went viral. Tweens ranged from 10 to 12 all obsessed with skincare and the need to try-before-you-buy option for all products sold in Sephora, a cosmetics company. Young kids become regulars at these stores as they buy expensive products that were hyped up on social media by their favorite adult influencers. The only issue is that most of these products aren’t necessarily for everyone, especially young children buying products like Drunk Elephant’s “Retinol” which address issues their skin doesn’t have yet and are very harmful to kids of that age. Young children are buying products that they don’t need and would expire before being needed. Influencers promoting brands like Laneige or Glow Recipe don’t always specify who these products are for. As a result, a single viral video can lead to products selling out in minutes. If young people are overbuying makeup and skincare at this age, this habit of overconsumption may carry into adulthood, affecting other areas of their lives
In America’s economy, long-term overconsumption can become a driving force in the economy’s downfall. Causing issues like increasing consumer debt, and running out of renewable resources because of the overuse of fossil fuels. According to Forbes, “Consumers will continue to Spend in 2024,” This could be because of peripheral things, like the pandemic that caused a shortage in business throughout 2020-2022 and spiked up inflation, the rise in prices. Even after the lockdown, in 2023, a 5.9% spending increase by consumers occurred even after the inflation gain was still 3.2%. The pandemic changed the way a lot of consumers think today, from being stuck at home they found comfort in material things. Past events in America, such as the Industrial Revolution & mass-production era all could very well point to the overconsumption the U.S. is now facing. Events like the Great Depression, a time when there was barely anything, could have led to this overwhelming shift in consumer culture to want to have so much. “Even during the wars— WW1, WW2, where things were rationed for people. And you couldn’t just go buy everything you that you wanted or the country didn’t have things available because of those times,” History Teacher, Chad Kutcher adds, “So I think whenever you see a time period of, call it under consumption or call it not enough resources, I think you see that followed by a time where you have people that maybe grew up during that time and didn’t have things and they wanna make sure they do have things.”
Overconsumption doesn’t just affect the individual consumer but instead, everyone else living on our planet. The average American dumps 4.5 pounds of trash per day, according to Dumpster.com. Because of things like fast fashion, food waste, and single-use plastics that have been used more than ever, that number is only expected to continue rising. On top of all the waste, over 140 million of that waste is being sent to landfills. This causes many of these landfills to be filled, carrying harmful toxins like methane emissions, a harmful gas that deprives humans of oxygen. Food waste is often found in most of these landfills, becoming a major contributor to climate change. “A lot of people think they eat more than what they do, and they end up wasting a lot of the food and just throwing it away,” Junior, Jori Fleck, President of the Environmental Wellness Club. With the continuation of overconsumption, the environment will only worsen, resulting in a decline in natural resources and materials available.
Overconsumption isn’t merely a personal individualized issue, but instead a global one that impacts the lives and ecosystems far beyond just the United States. The unsustainable exploitation of resources undeniably plays a part in the environmental crisis while still causing challenges with inflation. With fewer resources, production companies have to raise prices, creating a never-ending cycle of increased costs. However, by adjusting consumer culture and adopting more sustainable habits the reversal of overconsumption could begin. To meet a middle ground of consumption, and move towards a balanced spending future.
