Source: AFP
Exhausted by the rising cost of living in the United States and non-stop advertising, some young adults on TikTok are being pushed away.
“When every moment of your life you feel like you’re being sold something and the price of that item keeps going up, people will burn out on spending money,” Cara Perez, an influencer and financial educator, told AFP.
Social media has long had room only for perfect homes, luxurious wardrobes and an abundance of beauty products. But a new trend is sweeping the opposite — urging a shift in purpose, a leaner lifestyle, and prioritizing quality over quantity.
Known as the “core of underconsumption,” it highlights sustainable living and using what you have, a reversal of the excess and opulence that dominates ad-heavy Instagram and TikTok.
“When you get 300 videos on TikTok about people having 30 Stanley Cups, you want to have as many as you can.
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Consumer fatigue
A video with more than 100,000 views by TikTok user loveofearthco criticized the trend of overconsumption that is often reinforced and encouraged on social media: “I spent money I didn’t have on things I didn’t need.”
Another account, nevadahuvenaars, shared what “normal” consumption looks like: used furniture, a minimalist wardrobe, decor recycled from glass bottles, meal prep, and a downsized skincare collection.
Despite the economic hardships felt especially by Gen Z and millennials, the US economy is thriving, with record corporate profits and high shelf prices.
In a way, this is almost a ‘feel’ to consumers amid a period of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, culture and consumer marketing analyst Tariro Makoni told AFP.
He argued that the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) plans commonly adopted by the budgets of many young adults worsen consumption and represent a distortion in access to wealth.
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But years of inflation have forced many to conclude that they can’t keep up with the spending habits of social media users.
A Google Trends analysis shows that US searches for “underconsumption” hit a high this summer, while queries about “overproduction” and the “Great Recession” also appear.
Many young adults have developed a “compulsive behavior to spend every last pound on a fashion item,” said UK-based influencer Andrea Cheong, who recently shared a “underconsumption” style video of her refurbishing old her clothes.
It’s an addiction linked to a pressure “to articulate who we are through possessions,” Cheong noted.
Instead, the “underconsumer core” breaks away from traditional mainstream trends promoted by influencers, who often sell an ever-changing shopping plan that incorporates the latest trend and aesthetic, according to Cheong. She and Makoni agreed that the change also reflects increased calls for authenticity from content creators.
Source: AFP
Now, “conservation is nice,” Maconi said — “we saw very similar patterns after 2008” during the financial crisis.
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More than half of Gen Z adults — ages 18 to 27 — surveyed in a 2024 Bank of America poll cited the high cost of living as a top barrier to their financial success, adding that many don’t make enough money to to live the life they want.
sustainability concerns
“The social media trend of ‘underspending’ is another way for Gen Z to get the most out of their money while being environmentally friendly,” said Ashley Ross, head of consumer customer experience and governance at the Bank of America.
While younger generations are concerned about sustainable options, a lack of financial autonomy is driving their decisions.
“Let’s be honest, nobody is going to change their GDP for sustainability. We don’t live in that world … The motivation for people to do these things has always been to save money,” Cheong said.
But he told AFP that “under-consumption” trends ultimately provide the most accessible approach to sustainability for those who seek it. The message is simple: “Buy less, buy better”.
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Source: AFP
Low consumption initiatives cast a wider network of profiles and generations.
Anjali Zielinski, 42, attended a “Mending 101” workshop in Georgetown, DC in hopes of gaining new skills. She also brought her seven-year-old daughter Mina with her.
In addition to providing an outlet for her daughter’s creativity, she hopes crafting will teach her the “value of our possessions and the work that goes into them.”
Source: AFP
