@@creepcraddle In all reality, our economy would probably collapse if people all at once stopped buying non-essentials. Our current economic model requires constant and consistent growth every quarter for it to be sustained. Which inherently means it's not sustainable. When people finally stop buying so much crap, we're in for a rude awakening that we have been propping our economy up on toothpicks.
I'm quickly getting tired of the recent gatekeeping of underconsumption, some featured here (not you, Shelbi, you've been a great proponent). We're inundated nonstop with influencers/brand marketing normalizing replacing everything you own once a season, if not more. But when regular people chime in to remind us that the stuff we have is good enough, and most people's lives probably look more like yours than what we see in perfectly-curated posts, it's not enough "systemic action"? Most people in the U.S. are not thinking about moderating their consumption *at all* across economic classes. Rich, poor, and in between, it's extremely common to buy a ton of shit that you don't need, because as Shelbi mentioned, there are dupes at every price point. If a TikTok trend is the starting point for people to make more sustainable choices, that's great! Everyone starts somewhere. Anything is preferable to the overconsumption marketing machine.
Exactly. Awareness and acceptance that normal isn't buying constantly is the first step to systemic changes. If you gatekeep it, all you're doing is pushing people back into consumerism before they've had a chance to start thinking about it more deeply. It's why I've always loved Shelbi's videos - because she never shames people for 'not doing enough', and instead focuses on giving real information, and accepting that everyone is on different parts of the journey. Honestly I would love to watch more ethical channels, but most of them just make me want to give up, because I can't reach their impossible standards.
Underconsumption core is my favorite trend that ever happened on tiktok. I like seeing normal people aesthetic. It makes me feel content and appreciate what I have
Yes ma'am. We are naturally supposed to be content. Consumerism and capitalist America keeps us always anxious and wanting more. It's designed that way for a reason
You have such a good point saying we watch people's curated homes all day! I never really thought about why I am always unhappy with my "way too much open storage and a little messy" appartment. Makes so much sense that when we only see what is perfect, we get more and more unhappy and thus need/want to buy more. I think we all need to log off more often and go into the woods, go hiking and just chill.
the weirdest thing i've seen on "underconsumption core" videos is some asshole in the comments being like "so we're glorifying poverty now?" and it's literally just someone washing and reusing a jar, or they're using some plates they got from their parents or something. like there are genuinely people out there who consider not buying shit you don't need poverty.... i'm indian and i think calling "underconsumption core" poverty is insane actually. i've yet to see a single video where anyone looks poor or isn't meeting their needs. or even someone who is still using things that are literally falling apart and unusable. there's literally nothing in these videos that should make you think "oh, this person is poor" apart from the fact that if you aren't poor you're expected to spend all your money on stuff just so you can have the newest and most trendy things. my family is middle class and we wear clothes until they have holes in them, then either patch them up and keep wearing them or turn them into rags. this is pretty normal for us. when our shoes break, we take them to a cobbler to see if they can't be fixed, and if they can we just keep wearing them until they're unfixable one day. and for some reason, americans consider this poverty, but it's really not. my family wasn't struggling for cash for most of my life and we still did this because it's literally just common sense. my mom would splurge on bags and makeup and clothes while we did this "frugal" stuff because it's crazy to buy new things every single time something breaks without even checking to see if you can fix it. you could be throwing away a perfectly good shirt. my mom got a pair of shoes repaired by a cobbler a while ago and she's gotten like 5 more years out of those shoes than she would have otherwise. i have socks i decided to repair when they got holes that i've literally been using for years. same with a lot of my clothes. the american mindset needs to shift to accommodate simply not buying things that you don't actually need (on second thought this doesn't apply just to americans because it's everywhere now). people pretend i'm really frugal or something but all i do is ask myself if i really need something before buying it, and the answer is often no. i never really stop myself from getting things i want either and i do think i still overconsume (work in progress lol). i've just made it a rule to ask myself 1. do i need this 2. do i actually want this 3. am i going to use this every time i buy something. and it turns out, i often don't need it, don't want it, and don't think i will use it either, and the only reason i feel like buying it is because i keep seeing it everywhere and it seems cool to have. i think a lot of people don't do this so they feel like not buying new stuff is always about poverty. edit: the criticisms about not enough systemic change are true and i completely agree, but i think they also miss that most people are not going to be in favour of systemic change if we don't have cultural change. if people are wanting to buy new clothes and shoes and trinkets and so on every few days, they do not want systemic change. if people always want a new everything and always want to keep up with trends and impulse purchase everything and think reusing jars amounts to poverty, they are going to vehemently oppose systemic change. they don't want to live in a sustainable world because a sustainable world is not one where you buy new clothes every 2 weeks to keep up with whatever is going on on tiktok. and changing the culture will change people's opinions on this as well. the corporations have made buying new stuff all the time normal. we have to make it abnormal.
It doesn’t help that seemingly the entire economy is built on people buying things they don’t need. If we all stop buying stuff significantly, then the economy all over the world would take a nosedive and many, many jobs would be obsolete. (I’m not happy about this, btw… I try to be an under-consumer)
@@misstweetypie1 I feel like this is generally the response I get when talking about lessening consumption systemically, the "but thousands/millions of people will loose their jobs". Forgetting that systemic change takes time and with a changing society so will opportunities for jobs change with it, like when factory workers where largely repalced with machines, they didn't stay unempolyed forever
I agree. The people equating a "make do and mend" lifestyle with poverty, don't know what poverty even IS. I use my things as long as they still work and do the job, but when they do stop working, I can afford to replace them. Poverty is you have no *choice* to do that or not and can't afford to replace it.
@@misstweetypie1 "It doesn’t help that seemingly the entire economy is built on people buying things they don’t need." Not just seemingly! You're right. The entire economic system we currently have is built on people buying things they don't need. And that's the heart of the issue.
I'm grateful that underconsumption core is a thing even if it has it's flaws. As you said, it's a response to influencer culture and hopefully it does reach as big of audience as it could get. Sure, maybe not everyone will start being mindful of everything that they own or buy, but at least it might minimize it even just for a short while. I also hope that it branch to home reno and furniture/interior design side of the internet. As you said, people curate these homes that are openly online and it skews our perception on how long home contents should last. It's such a weird thing that a COUCH could be trendy! Especially when I personally live with furnitures that are as old as I am.
I did watch an aesthetic girly who had moved out of her parents into a new place who was slowly designing her space with second hand things, talking about how much cooler they look than the standard and how much longer they'll last!
The thing that helps me not feel like I need to buy all these aesthetic things that everyone seems to buy these days? Not having tiktok in the first place.
for me it really started back then on tumblr, I don't think the media is at fault but to be fair, tik tok has made it way broader, viral and popular. Back then it was the outcasts and introverted people having niche aesthetics. Also it wasn't as easy (outside of US, UK) to get the items to replicate the aesthetics without temu, shein, etc.
I am similarly flabbergasted. I'm guessing they must throw out or donate entire closets worth of clothing on a regular basis, which also seems exhausting. I sleep in a shirt that I got for free back in high school nearly 2 decades later, and it's still okay. 😅
It’s funny how everything needs to be “marketed” for people to buy into it. Even when it’s for anti consumerism trends. My dad is one of the most anti-consumerist people I know. He rarely buys new things and hold onto clothes and shoes until they’re falling apart. He’s the definition of eco friendly, but he doesn’t even realize it lol.
its wild how it’s so engrained in our daily lives is the act of being marketed to. its straight up mass manipulation but when its aesthetic it’s okay i guessss?? 🤷🏼♀️
I hate how every idea or concept is considered a "trend". This is just being responsible with your money and figuring out what is truly worth your hard earned money
I was trying to think about your question of how many houses I visit a year and was trying to count my families homes when I realized I actually go to many many homes because I'm a home health nurse I travel to my patients homes and spend 12hrs at a time in their homes. The more homes I go to the more I've realized how "normal" it has become too have so much unnecessary junk to the point that your home loses functionality. I see this with my low income patients, my high income patients and everything in between. I disagree that this new trend is just glorifying poverty because in my experience and from "the minimalists" people that are low income tend to have just as much stuff as high income people they just get it for cheap or free and it's a different kind of consumption/hoarding. And I think it's important to have deep conversations but let's be real, people that don't care about the environment aren't going to sit and watch a documentary, podcast, Ted talk discussing the dangers of overconsumption.... But they'll watch a short. In fact they'll watch shorts or tiktoks all day long so I think that is absolutely the medium to use when you're talking about reaching the most people. Great video! Can't wait for more content!
Low income might even have more stuff in number, because they know they can't afford to replace it if they do throw it away or donate it. The scarcity mindset contributes to hoarding.
This is so true! My mum used to be low income (she's doing great now), so if someone offers her something for free or she sees stuff for cheap, she buys it even though she absolutely doesn't need it!
I don't understand why so many people are saying underconsumption core = poverty lifestyle. I live below my means, and it enables me to save money. That's the opposite of poverty. Using what you have to the fullest extent doesn't mean you can't afford to buy more. It's just a consumer choice.
I love this trend because i had never thought about this before. Now i have watched all of your videos, and i am absolutely hyped to make a change in my community and my daily life. Trend or not, raising awareness is a MASSIVE STEP.
This really made a lightbulb go off for me with community being based on what you buy instead of what you do or believe in. It’s truly heartbreaking as a person who hates stuff and loves ideas.
Thank you for bringing back the environmental foot print to the conversation! It's not only about the money and clutter. Saving this planet should be in the center of everything really
I would feel absolutely sick to my stomach if I spent money the way the marketing gurus want me to believe I should. Save your money on “stuff” and make yourself your priority!!! Great video, Shelbi! And you’re right, we do love it here🥰🥰🥰
I’ve followed you for years and in a few months ago I travelled to Egypt for the first time (they’re currently in a bad situation economically due to federal corruption devaluing currency) and it made me angry how so many people there barely have enough to feed their families (and are still grateful/content) but Americans are bored to the point of needing to be told what to spend $50 on (and are still ungrateful/unhappy.) There was one man outside a specialty 24 hr pharmacy who’d traveled all day and waited for hours for his insulin (there were shortages at the time) and he told my husband in Arabic: you know, I have no idea how I will be able to afford both my insulin and my food for next month, but thank God I had both this month, and not everyone has that, so I’m happy. Americans have everything we could ever want at a push of a button and are still unhappy, Egyptians could be starving and still offer to share their only piece of bread with you and be grateful for the company.
Marketing in a capitalist society will tell you that you will be happy if you have ____. The problem is, this is a lie, or at least, you will only be happy in the short term. You can’t chase happiness. Happiness is a temporary emotion. You need to prioritize filling your life with things that matter: family, friends, community (in the real world, internet thumbs ups don’t substitute for genuine connection), your physical and spiritual health. You won’t find this spending 40 hours a week on social media, you will find anxiety and depression. With fulfillment and contentment and gratitude comes true inner peace and happiness regardless of what life throws at you.
No one believes the US is happy. They are shopping away the miserable. Some have decided on nihilism, others are juggling multiple problems at once, some are deliberately unaccountable and enjoying the ride to rock bottom.
22:27 I’ve been about environmentalism since I was a kid but when I really started looking into to it…a lot of the stuff was stuff that we had to do because we were poor…like reusing stuff until it is completely unusable was standard and I continued to live that way because I couldn’t get behind replacing something because of a small tear or “being out of style”…so as someone who grew up poor I can see how being an environmentalist or “underconsumer” could seem like just being poor because it was my first thought but I learned so much more on what else I could do to positively impact the environment.
We as a society need to stop identifying with our stuff. The whole "core"/aesthetic movement has pushed consumerism beyond levels of which I think any of us expected it could go. We need to start finding identity in things that actually matter: helping others, spending time with the people that matter and building relationships with them, being kind, doing hobbies that bring us joy, learning new things, being in nature, finding our purpose etc etc. "Stuff" doesn't really matter in the long run. This is true and achievable whether you are rich or poor, black or white, no matter your identity. We are all capable of finding true happiness outside of this wheel of consumerism and "stuff".
I don't think the underconsumption images I have seen are glorifying poverty. They (the people showing their underconsumption images) seem to still have the necessities, they just might not be new and 'aesthetic', and they don't have a large number of the same thing.. The things they have work perfectly fine. Wearing shoes that are out of style, or only owning a few pairs of functional shoes, is not the same as wearing shoes with holes that let in the rain, or having no shoes. Poverty is lacking necessities , not being able to afford things you actually need. Underconsumption is having what you need, and not continuing to buy stuff after those needs are met. You can afford to buy new things when the old ones wear out, but not buying constantly. You might have the money to buy more things but you just choose to save it or spend it on other stuff, because having 50 pairs of shoes isn't a priority. Maybe saving for a house or travel is more important.
part of the problem is the name "under' consumption. It's not under, it's "just right". True underconsumption would be going hungry, would be lacking things you actually need. I understand the name was chosen as a reaction to the overconsumption "stock up" videos. But the name is not really accurate because it's more like "normal" and "enough" consumption. But a name like that wouldn't go viral.
I think “underconsumption” = an idealized version of just normal consumption. This is just a new term that’s catchy/trendy and aimed at younger generations. The opposite of consumption is creation. I do think it’s positive and helpful.
You're right about creation! I had forgotten about this! I weaved a bread basket out of birch bark about two years ago, from bark we got out of a tree with my dad from my family's woods. I got to learn a new skill, and got a useful item out of it. I spent many nights with the hobby. That's truly the opposite of consumption.
ive been following you for years. im not even an eco conscious person per say! youre just an all around thoughtful and entertaining creator. Love your style and in the interest of sustainability, being frugal and saving money its very sobering when I realized I was on that retail hamster wheel my whole life.
I feel like it needed to be called “underconsumption” because otherwise it wouldn’t be as big of a deal as it is, though I feel like many people on TikTok that do this trend, mentions that it’s actually “normal consumption” Today’s normal would’ve been overconsumption ten years ago so maybe we need to push underconsumption so that we can go back to a normal that is more realistic and reasonable with the environment and our own money in mind. In Sweden and probably many other countries too there is a big deal now with summer vacation where people take out loans just so they can afford the perfect summer vacation or they borrow money and the amounts are HUGE, it’s so sad. I am SO grateful to myself that I don’t follow influencers and I am not easily influenced by other people, by what I see online.
Lower income Americans commenting on "underconsumption" videos with an air of superiority has always bothered me. They say things like "you wanna be poor so bad", "my family has been living like this bc we're poor". And I just think that's so unconcrustructive for a number of reassons. 1. Yes, people with disposable incomes are the target demographic. But this applies to American citizens as a whole. We are the consumers and everyone is rich compared to someone. When it comes to consumption, I feel like it's more valuable to think about where we -- as people born into the first world -- stand on a global scale because consumption and production occurs at a global scale. (And Shelby is right on the nose in saying that as Americans, we are already hyper consumers relative to this global market-- even the lower classes. Africa, China, India, Bangaladesh -- all of these places are being poisoned by production to meet American demand for consumer goods) 2. Why would you discourage someone who's more well off from lowering their consumption? That's something that's good for all of us. 3. Poor people are also guilty of rampant consumerism. I had a single mom, public school teacher salary, raising 5 kids. We lived on food stamps for a large portion of our childhood. And I assure you (looking at ourselves and our community) POOR PEOPLE CONSUME. Consumerism works because it infiltrates our collective conciousness and advertises to us what a desirable (and valuable) life looks like. I've met SO MANY poor people living beyond their means. Putting themselves into credit card debt so that they can continue buying fast fashion. Taking out predatory loans to buy fancy cars that they can't afford. (even trying to participate in more expensive trends by buying into the amazon or dollar tree version) And All the while questioning where their money goes. Consumerism holds wealthy, white culture as the "end goal" that we're striving toward and poor communities often perform wealth by trying to participate in that culture where we can. And I think social media has made that urge to perform wealth so much stronger in lower middle class and poorer communties. This isn't to say that every single low-income household lives this way (and def not to shift blame from upper to lower classes), but I'm just trying to say us poor Americans are not immune to responsibility for our cosnumption habits.
As always, you're adding a real and lived experience on a topic that is so meaningful in today's reality. I love your honesty and transparency, showing how you used to consume and how you've changed that through the years is admirable and sets an example in a non authoritarian way, but a relaxed yet radical manner. We could apply the Hegel's dialectic to the consumption trends as well, it might be obvious but it's the way society is predicted, those contradictory behaviors that from opposite sides create this division and the idea of "a better" way to do, live or be. Your exploration and notes on the topic are of real value Shelby, thanks again.
When you were talking about towels, I was reminded that my Mom this has a Barney the Dinosaur towel which is, at the very least ,26 yrars old. 😅 If its still good, it still dries and it doesn't tear your skin when you're drying off, then why not use it! And when it stops being useful as a towel, then it will be made into rags to dust floor boads or clean up spills. Things like this are really normal in Ireland and Germany (where I'm from and where I now live). Buying 7 items a month is bananas to me!
Excellent video. So tired of trends. I am most worried about my free will, can I even think by myself or everything is influencing me??? I have decided to cut social media to just a few favorite RU-vidrs a week ( I am not on any other platforms) and listen to my core for a bit 😊😊😊
You said it, local community coming together is key to helping shift us to new habits and ways to consume. While these trends are helpful at starting conversations and getting people involved in sustainability, ideally we need to highlight and celebrate tool libraries, library of things, party kit network, kitchen libraries, toy libraries, encouraging each other to ask our neighbours to borrow and share etc so we can help people understand there are other ways to consume - we can expand and redefine this word/action. For new systems to come about we the people are going to have to help build *some* of them. There are so many great community initiatives happening around the world that we can learn and build upon to suit our local areas. They can take time (i'm on a working team for a few) and aren't as quick as *some* zero waste swaps but once they are up and running they create impact that goes beyond the environment, like bringing community together to be more resilient in these tough times for one. Love your videos and message x
I think my home looks very overconsumption esc but in reality it’s stuff that I spent most of my life (I’m 22) collecting or being gifted. Like my room is full of stuff, all of which I genuinely enjoy and like probably 50% is gifts, 40% is stuff that I’ve gotten from like helping people get rid of stuff and taking something home and such and like 10% is store bought but like 5% of that is from thrift stores. Granted this is again over 22 years but I say all of this to say I feel like it’s really possible to have an aesthetic with minimal consumerism.
I have be participating in underconsumption core because I couldn’t afford stuff. But now I’m making a little more money I’m trying to buy better quality things so I don’t have to replace them as often. I’m also trying to switch to certain more sustainable products that I previously couldn’t afford. But I’m still only buying stuff when I need to replace something
i'm the person people take to the store with them because i'm very good at convincing people *not* to buy something. i'm very good at asking if something is what they *really* want or just thought looked cool
I think you are very correct about the need for community. What I also think is difficult is that the place we supposed to be going for community (social media) has turned into a giant marketplace to shove products down to our throughts. For sure there are other (better) ways to socialize and be a part of a community, but in the digital age, some has become a prominent social meeting point. So as long as those platforms are prioritizing profit over people, integrate ever more insedious ways to sell cheap crap, we have serious problems.
When the zero waste trend first came out, I was thinking how cool and interesting it was despite the fact it’s totally unrealistic thing. After some time I’ve came to a conspiracy theory that those type of core prepare people for tough times when you can’t buy even basic things, you know… but I’m still thankful for menstrual cups 😂 the best zero waste thing ever!
The reusable period stuff is great. I like the reusable pads, yes for the cost but it means they are always in the house and I don't have to manage a stock level
You’re absolutely right about consumerism replacing community, and I think a big reason we have turned to what we wear, buy, and display as a way of finding our people, is the lack of 3rd spaces.
For SURE the American level of consumption is over-consumption. (I think I read somewhere that it would take *five* Earths for us all to consume like Americans.) And while I understand people saying that sharing "underconsumption" isn't the same as taking collective action or making system changes, I still think it's really important to share on social media. Kids today are mostly online, and what they see repeated is what's going to seem normal. I agree with what you said at the end about a cultural mindset shift being required to achieve systemic change. After all, who's going to push to ban Shein or single-use plastic when they themselves are shopping at Shein?
It's interesting that we've come full circle again. We started in 2016 with influences having HUGE collections of everything, and everyone was influenced to buy everything, and by 2018 everyone had had enough and started looking at anti-consumerism content. The no buy and low buy trend/challenges started, and people made an effort to take a step back from influencers and marketing and use what they had. I think 2018 was about the time minimalism really started to trend and gain speed too, again it being a response to the complete overconsumption and over-purchasing of stuff. About that time Marie-Condo's decluttering methods became really popular, and people wen't from maximalists to minimalists within months. I think 2019 - 2021 stabilised a bit with Covid slowing things down, because people were focusing on themselves, and once the world opened up again, 2022 - 2024 tiktok became a huge thing and we're seeing the cycle again. New generation, new cycle, but it'll repeat itself time and time again.
I think conversations like this are important to add to trends like this bc some people will not think deeper about it and see it as just a trend. Hopefully people who hadn't previously thought about sustainability and the environment who just came across this trend will now start to think about things differently. Hopefully this trend starts a change in at least some people. Maybe this will be someone's introduction to sustainability and caring about the environment
It’s an interesting question, what is really underconsumption? What is normal? For me I know I could always do better at shopping second hand and buying less but I don’t know where I land. I try not to interact with influencers selling things generally but I’m human. For me, I have enjoyed using my expendable money to support artists and creators making art and content I enjoy. It feels like I’m going more directly to a human and saying I value what you’re selling. But I still have my vices.
I study Geography and sustainable development so my answer would be, that sustainable consumption is the middle, overconsumption is what would be unsustainable from the perspective of environmental and human impacts, and underconsumption would be not meeting your human needs and having negative human impacts that way. So the donut economy model. There is an upper and lower limit to what's 'sustainable' consumption. As a student, I also often think about what's enough consumption. I've been a minimalist for all of my independent adult life, mainly for mental health and economic reasons, but also for the environment. Because I've been limiting my consumption for several years now, my things begin to break. I don't have the excess that I used to when I started when I moved out. I find myself delaying purchases, even if they would be sensible. I want to see if I can do without. Often there is something I can use instead or materials I can use to fix something. A veggie strainer is on my list to buy.
Nailed it once again Shelby! ❤ Spending time with and caring about people in real life is so underrated 😭 I think we Americans should all just assume that we are overconsuming, and start reflecting from there.
Look at the fall of some major merchants. Bed bath and beyond. Sears, Christmas Tree shopp, Kmart. And the rise of second hand stores. Good will, savers. Times are changing and I love it.
A lot of retailers are moving strictly online because it's cheaper. That's the main reason for the failure, all those mall and physical stores died while dropshipping temu wish shein stuff has taken off. Also thrift stores have been raising prices way too high which makes it less of an option for people who actually need it so unfortunately I think it's gotten a bit worse there.
Exactly, people just monkey see monkey do whatever is pushed on tiktok and that thing changes every week. Young people are having their brains absolutely tarnished by consuming so much content and living in a world that values image over anything else.
I'm struggling with it as a media trend as I'm seeing so many people use it as a 'look I use the items I own'. I want to see more visible mending, fixed items, genuine up cycling of what we already own.
This is a huge reason I completely left social media and started using a flip phone instead of a smart phone. It was way too easy to online shop and I had a problem with it. One of the best decisions I've made!
8:45 my aunt has actually complained about how quick and simple it is to buy things online. She has ADHD and therefore difficulty controlling her impulses, and she often bought a lot of stuff she couldnt even remember ordering and didnt need, and has struggled with economy at times. Part of the problem is your bank account is remembered without it being a choice, and you dont have to actually stop to fill in the application, which would give you time to think. That should at least be an optional setting (and if anything the default), that you should have to fill inn the application with all the numbers each time
The argument that it will hurt our economic system (and by extension people’s livelihoods) is both scarily true and a fallacy. Yes, a lot of people depend on the current system to live. But there is so much actual work to be done, and we have a lot of resources that, if distributed in a way that made sense, would allow for jobs that don’t make “profit” in the same way. I was talking to my partner about this yesterday-the conservation department in our town is very “pick your battles”, and won’t promote no mow may because they don’t want to hurt the landscaping companies. It’s bizarre to me, because landscapers have such a good opportunity to promote restorative practices like no mow may. They could focus on yard invasives removal, or consulting and implementation of regenerative landscaping practices-all of which, after the initial training, would likely make them more money and cost them less time than repeatedly mowing entire properties every week. Worker’s value is not tied inextricably to our current system, but we do need to be careful in our approach to changes like this-how do we support the people in currently harmful roles in transitioning to work that is beneficial to the world?
I like to look at three areas of my life to gauge how I'm balancing our consumption: budget/finances, living environment, and needs. Are our needs being met? Is our living environment free of clutter and restful? Do our purchases put an undue pressure on the environment? Is our budget balanced, and are we meeting our financial goals? Usually purchases that put the environment and human rights first are going to be harder on the wallet. Which is totally fine! My husband and I remind ourselves, "Things are much more expensive when you don't use slave labor to make them." We value using our money wisely, and that means budgeting what we're going to purchase, and why. I feel like intentional consumption is a journey that we will always be on. The reality is also that when choosing between the new, ethically made item and the thrifted item, the thrifted item is going to be a lot cheaper. This leaves us budget wiggle room to, for instance, go to the farmer's market before we do our regular grocery shopping. While avocado toast may not be preventing us from reaching our financial goals, overconsumption absolutely will!
Love how you opened by defining your perspective and for bringing your privilege. I feel very fortunate to have the financial resources I do so I try to go the extra mile with recycling and getting rid of things I don’t need via buy nothing. I feel like it’s my responsibility to put in that extra effort because I have that privilege
I saw a video pop up on tiktok where an influencer made a video about how she lives an “underconsumption” core. She went to the thrift store specifically to buy a bunch of mason jars to switch out her regular jars for them. It’s so icky, it’s not and shouldn’t be a trend!
I think it's good that it's a Trend because it leads to people again talking and discussing about it. Of course there is some room for Interpretation of 'underconsumption'. So let us be louder than those people "buying-Mason-Jars-to-throw-away-perfectly-fine-glasses-they-already-own"!! They obviously did not get the point of what UNDERconsumption should be really about.....
when covid hit and people had money, it was hauls, shopping, what I bought, etc.. now that the economy is questionable, it's antihauls and underconsumption. People will make "trends" out of anything. thanks for a great channel!
While I agree we need systemic change, it is not mutually exclusive from "underconsumption core". In other words, the target audience for "underconsumption core" are people who are susceptible to TikTok trends in general, and thus I think underconsumption core is a proportional response to the trend it is trying to counter (overconsumption). These people are not ready to think about systemic changes (yet). They need to be de-influenced from the impulse to go out and buy out all of Target to match the latest aesthetic TikTok they just saw.
Loved hearing your thoughts on all of the nuances of these topics! Thanks for doing the deep dive. So many of us really do need to check our privilege and realize that it plays a role. It shouldn’t hold anyone back from advocating, but it may change the tone of how we advocate/address the topics. 😃
Thank you for this food for thought. I was wondering if you had a chance to look into the European Green Deal and especially in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive of the EU. I feel like this is the right step forward. I don’t know if this is discussed in the US at all. It will have an impact in Europe, not sure thought if it is driven by consumers. It seems more driven by politicians. If it catches on, this hopefully will impact US businesses too
Anyone who thinks 'underconsumption core' is repackaged poverty have never lived in poverty (plus I expect this idea comes from the name, as opposed to what the trend actually is). And even if it was, why is that a bad thing? No one chooses poverty. My second question is are there really people who don't have hobbies? I've never imagined a life without hobbies.
as a northern european using instagram i am often appalled by the american way of consuming. i didn't really consider myself as an "underconsumer" but comparing myself to these underconsumption core videos makes me realize that what's considered underconsuming in this trend is just a regular way of living in my life circle.
These facts and info is news to me. I can't imagine buying 7 new garments a month. In that same vein, I need to think about what I am over consuming and take a step back.
Let me tell you I have tried my best to be wayyyyy more mindful about things I get I think a lot about how I want my home to look and how to thrift and consign to get there , and how to also streamline being consistent with keeping old things and repurposing them , handmaking cards and crafts and be more creative and also shopping second hand. It’s a slow process but I’m proud how I’m not buying stuff all the time
Ever since I moved away from home, I started buying things more. Like I can no longer walk into a store for the one thing I need (like milk for example) without walking out of the store without getting 5 different items because I think they are cute….like the amount of claw clips I have is insane.. I have like 15. I don’t need that many.
Yes with more freedom comes the need to learn some impulse control. If you are at least working to improve over time thats a good thing. The way I learned to (almost) always bring my own bag to the store, instead of taking a new plastic bag, was to just never throw a plastic bag away unless it was full of other garbage that wasnt plastic bags. And seeing how that accumulate as a reminder. Maybe you could use a similiar technique. Everybody also needs ways to occupy themself that dont involve constant spending
Wow first video of yours and I love you! So many important things here, and such a nuanced take. I love your personal example - I too grew up with a family where it was normal to buy new things every week for fun, and I’m still unlearning that ❤
7 new items of clothing a month is a lot, I felt like I was over consuming when I brought 6 items of outdoor gear at once because we got a rescue dog mid-winter and I didn't have suitable stuff to walk him in. Other than the dog gear I think I've only brought 6 items all year
You weren't overconsuming, you actually need that stuff. But I also think the level some people overconsume is crazy. Buying new clothes every month seem crazy to me
I really think there needs to be a push toward being happy with what youve got. Yeah you deserve a little retail therapy to help you face the everyday horrors but like are you talking about getting some cake or maybe a new lipgloss to replace something thats running low, or are you talking about buying a whole bookshelf just because the one you have rn isnt trendy anymore? Its a never ending race between people trying to push for less consumerism and companies coming out with new ways to make people spend their money. Unless each person makes the decision to be conscious for themselves, these types of trends wont have any lasting impact. I do hope that these videos can at least make a few people think more about what they buy.
"Americans spend 1.2 trillion dollars annually on nonessential goods."-isaiah's part in the video. Holy moly!!! That is TONS of money! I wonder what would happen if we collectively bought a LOT LESS 😂. But also, what counts as nonessentials? Extra clothes and widgets? Personal care that is luxury? I wonder what the border between essential and nonessentials was. Any Stuff that's not food, water and shelter..or? Transportation? Car accessories. I want more details now.
quite frankly i’m just tired of content that always seems to be selling or promoting something- they’re mostly short form and on tiktok, it perpetuates this hedonistic pursuit of temporary pleasures that just never ever ends. and as everyone else is mentioning, so much expression of identity is based on external impressions now, like we need material stuff to own that visually signals our interests and personalities to ppl in the form of home interiors or clothing or fandom stuff realistically i’m cynical that change will happen on a systematic level since america is so deeply in debt, anything that promotes underconsumption probably won’t be looked at favorably. i remember minimalism back in the 2010s helping me immensely at the time but i left that (which i now regret) and gradually saw other creators i watched mass exodus from that movement - at least for me it was helpful to a point and then i kept pushing it to the point of borderline asceticism - and when ppl feel restricted they tend to break and swing the other direction. i remember some creators i watched that left minimalism also mention how restricted they felt. and why that no waste cup thing never lasted. i think striving for balance is always most sustainable, as u said. also change on a collective level is most often achieved through reductionism of a lot of people rather than a perfect few. or more reliably through policy changes / corporations implementing progress (whole idea of a carbon footprint was a campaign made by oil companies) but given that this is about companies potentially profiting less that’s never gonna fly with them lol
I agree that community is as powerful as Shelbi suggested. Wondering how to get enough people on board with the entirety of sustainability in the same way they were with the Ozone crisis. The key with the healing direction of the ozone layer was three fold: citizens, governments, and corporations. If I’ve missed a discussion please let me know. I’d like to look into it.
As someone who’s been watching RU-vid since I was 16 seeing people like Juicystar07 with insane bedrooms and huge makeup collections. I’m choosing to see the positive in this normal consumption thing. If I had seen content like that at a young age I would’ve have felt shame like I did for not have an elaborate bedroom, wardrobe and makeup collection.
I feel that the reason these ideologies are so readily labelled as trends is because the exist in the machinations of marketing. I feel like what you video have always been up against whole industries that exist to make want solutions to problems that don’t exist. That intentionally feed to our insecurities and trick us into thinking that stuff has any moral value on our actual person.
For years, I got new clothes only on my birthday. So like once a year. That too, only from my parents. So one or two, max 3 pieces be it top/pants. As I grew older, I thrift mostly, but I don’t have such stores at home, so whenever I go to other city, so that too is once a year. It’s not that I can’t afford new clothes, I just feel like it’s a waste, when I can use that money to study more or visit places or anything.
The online world would die from how mismatched and plain my house looks…how old some of the items are…ALL the hand me downs…lol my house is the furthest thing from aesthetically pleasing
Girl I just sewed the big hole on my house shirt coz it still has some life left if I fix the hole 😂😂😂 taking the "use it til it falls apart" literally
Shout out to kimberly Clark!! She was the og creator of naming and making ~anti hauls~, they also have a really good series on consumerism yall should definitely check out.
Look at real estate listings, pictures of peoples homes can show how normal people live (excluding staged homes and usually people do tidy up before pictures)
A lot of this just seems normal to me. I'm not poor, but I grew up with early boomer parents who knew how to "make do and mend". And taught us the same. Also, while there is definitely overconsumption in my country, it's not as bad as the US esp. not with buying disposable things or the borderline hoarding of cheap crap. Tbh Americans seem like 24/7 servants of their corporate overlords to me, constantly either working or buying stuff
So interesting you talking about how people are finding community through consumerism. I think I'm so anti-consumerist in the way I approach life that that is such a bizarre concept for me... like of course I could find community through my hobbies and the things I'm passionate about like veganism and queerness and cycling, and the alternative kids/ punks - not being they are "altcore" or whatever it would be... but because we like the same music and weirdness...
Meeting needs or wants mostly or primarily 2nd hand is tricky. Sometimes I'd rather buy something new, even when that means paying more, to ensure it works or if it doesn't work can be returned or exchanged. Not to mention if I buy something used or refurbished that ends up breaking in 6 months so I have to go buy another, that's more wastful than having just bought one new in the first place. To balance that out though, I only buy what I need (no need for an air fryer when my oven has a convection setting), I don't replace anything until I absolutely need to, and I never buy anything brand new, e.g. last year's model phone, car, etc.
I'm living in a small makeshift house, which is my parents in law other half of the house that we closed with a big shelf hiding the door. Since I have to fit everything in small space, and I'm a maximalist and someone with affinity with a lot of "cores" its quickly filling up. I think it's because ive grown up poor, without being gifted things I wanted,etc and now that I have my own money I want the things i've wanted then: beautiful book editions, collectible merch, autumn decor, Taylor Swift Vinyls etc. One thing I am is consistent, I love the exact same things since I can remember so now that I have the things, I wanna STOP buying, enjoy the items i've finally collected instead of buying more and diminish their value to me. But I feel trapped in the consumerism wheel because things are easier accessible now that I've only ever seen in america, uk, etc before, and now I can have the same style I've wanted for ages. Thankfully my space is filling up and I like to have it aesthetically pleasing and not a hoard mess so everytime I want something I think first "where can I put this" and "is it really something I need to have or can I just aknowledge that it looks beautiful without having it?". The last question is helping me see the crime on my consumerism, you see, I was the most environmental conscious of students at school, I wanted to study in the field but I had a biology teacher who discouraged me from it but I've preached, worried and consumed media about sustainability my whole 10-Current 27 life and i'm a big HYPOCRIT. I want to be able to look at something, think it's a nice aesthetic, and not need to replicate it by buying stuff. You're the only influencer that helps me control my impulses and slowly change my ways
I just looked up highest per capita spending (households) and yes the US is way high outstanding almost double what the per capita spending is in my country Australia. Not surprised that the US comes first but the gap between my country which is spendy and yours is surprising.
