Many years ago in the early 2010s, there was a trend that was all the rage on social media: “What’s in my bag?” That trend was exemplifying the minimalism of even the most popular celebrities; they had old receipts, used lip glosses, and trinkets that were more than just odds and ends. Rather than the increase of repetitive brands of products, these were traditional and authentic shows of characters.
Since then, times and methods of socialization have changed due to our very well-known pandemic, COVID-19. Musically, now known as TikTok, blew up over the course of the 3-year virus outbreak and quickly out-shone any social media apps that had come before it. There was everything from viral dance videos, to hauls, and to ‘Mukbangs’ broadcasted across the ‘For You Page.’
This new app came with new norms, including the influencers that flooded the new app, quickly gaining virality and thousands of followers. Young kids, teens, and adults alike began to idolize these people – creating a dangerous slope. People copied these influences, buying what they bought to achieve that same goal of popularity.
In 2020 those trends were ‘Vsco’ – scrunchies, Hydro Flasks, turtle-themed objects, reusable straws, Air Force Nikes, and more. Overconsumption causes people to have multiple bags for each day, bins of hand sanitizers to fit each “mood” and each “trend” that is new and improved on social media.
Over this past summer/year alone there were Labubus, Crumbl Cookies, Dubai Chocolate, Summer Fridays, Sol de Janeiro, and so much more. Viral videos showed influencers and trend followers alike lining up at the famous store Pop Mart at 4 in the morning just to hoard the blind boxes. Of the small furry monsters, there are 7 colors, 6 known and 1 unknown (along with multiple “types”). Same with the Crumbl cookies, with people buying 6-packs of cookies that cost $24.99 and clock in at anywhere from 610 to over 900 calories per cookie.
While this may not seem like it hurts everyone, it does. The current global and economic state of the world is unable to keep up with the rising demand of resources. People begin to feel inferior when they can’t keep up with social demands of social media. This forces parents of children who feel that need to fit in into crippling anxiety of the decision between helping their kids fit in or keeping their funds instead of spending hundreds. This trend of consumption seems harmless, maybe a little competitive, but in reality, it causes no good.
This maybe not be a priority, a main concern, or even a public issue, but at the least it should be brought to awareness for social media users so influencers and consumers alike know the harm this does and will do.
