TikTok’s "Underconsumption Core" Trend: A Refreshing Alternative or Another Form of Consumerism?
In a recent trend on TikTok, influencers are promoting "underconsumption core," where individuals use what they already own and avoid buying unnecessary items. This trend seems like a refreshing alternative to the traditional consumerist approach, but is it just another form of consumerism in disguise?
Underconsumption core is framed as the antidote to overconsumption, encouraging people to avoid trends and use what they have despite the aesthetic it might create. While this approach has some merits, it’s worth questioning why we need to turn even this into an aesthetic itself. By centering underconsumption as an aesthetic choice rather than a genuine lifestyle change, we’re still stuck in the cycle of consumerism.
In our late-stage capitalism, fueled by inequality, globalization, and commodification, consumption has become a central identifier. We’re continually pushed between the extremes of overconsumption and underconsumption, but either way, we’re still centering consumerism. The problem is that it might force us to continue the cycle.
According to a study from Global Environmental Politics, efforts are being made to make consumption better for the environment, but progress needs to be seen in the context of a rising global population and rising per capita consumption. The study argues that there need to be "more global cooperation to mitigate the ecological effects of consumption."
Ultimately, the constant fixation on how much or how little we consume keeps us locked in a cycle where consumerism defines our identity. We’re still on the ride, swinging between extremes, never quite getting off.
In a world where our identities are increasingly tied to what we buy or refuse to buy, it’s time to consider removing consumerism from our identity altogether. Rather than perpetuating the cycle of consumerism, we need to address the larger systemic issues related to consumption and waste.
By promoting underconsumption as a lifestyle choice, we’re creating another form of consumerism that keeps us tethered to the same cycle. It’s time to take a step back and question whether this trend is truly a refreshing alternative or just another way to perpetuate consumerism.