In recent years, consumerism has been steadily increasing. As a society, it has been the norm for the things we buy to be a source of happiness and wellbeing. However, this is becoming more and more of a problem.
Many things are driving this increase in consumerism, the major cause being social media. The promotion of consumerism thrives through social media because of its constant advertisement on the many different social media platforms available to the world.
Platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram, and Pinterest are just a few examples of sites that have a high influence on what people buy. Influencers promote items and start trends that create a pressure for individuals to buy these items in order to fit in.
Recently, items such as labubus, Parke sweatshirts, and anything dubai chocolate has been the trending thing to buy, due to Tik Tok’s influence and promotion. While these items may not be practical or something anybody needs, everyone seems to be purchasing them.
For example, the rise in popularity of labubus started as a result of a celebrity, as many trends do. Lisa, a part of the famous music group K Pop, posted a photo with a labubu on Instagram. When people saw that she had one, the desire to have one grew and soon everyone started buying them. Tik Tok became full of content surrounding these toys and it became a widely known trend.
Over hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on labubus, with almost 10 million sold on a daily basis. This alone shows the absurd impact social media has on consumerism and the buying impulses of people who are on social media.
During the holidays, consumerism is also a very prevalent issue. The tradition of gift giving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday causes a huge escalation in retail activity. People often purchase things they usually wouldn’t consider buying because of the norm of gift giving and enticing price drops.
Though consumerism isn’t new, it will continue to be a growing aspect in our society. It is important to be aware of the issue and try to create a balance between our wants and needs moving forward.
