Is TikTok’s “Underconsumption-Core” Out of Control?

Remember the time when every TikTok Short or Instagram Reels you came across was influencers promoting “life-changing” “can’t live without” products that were linked to their Amazon storefronts or TikTok shops? Sorry to break it to you but owning every color of the Stanley Tumbler is no longer in, TikTok’s “Underconsumption-core” is.

What is TikTok’s “Underconsumption-Core”?

As the name suggested, this newly hyped aesthetic shows people being content with what they already have and utilizing, reusing, and repairing them, if possible.

The accumulation of different fast-paced micro-trends popularized by social media in the past has inevitably resulted in overconsumption, in other words, “Buying for the sake of buying.” In response to this, a completely opposite approach under the hashtag #underconsumption is promoted out of environmental awareness, as well as an opportunity for people to reflect on their current buying habits.

TikTok/@natworship

What is the catch?

The TikTok trend started with the intention of encouraging people to make conscious choices when shopping to reduce unnecessary purchases. However, this “Anti-consumerism” mentality can become problematic when measures are taken too far away.

TikTok’s Underconsumption-Core Glamourizes poverty

There is no denying that the trend itself – Deliberately limiting one’s consumption to stay relevant, is a first-world problem. Some participants even took actions to the extreme by decluttering everything, which, in turn, generated more waste, ironically contradicting the trend’s purpose. Others are seen posting footage of them deprived of necessity – Eating expired produces instead of throwing them out, underbuying groceries despite having the financial capacity, and not replacing a broken mug, which is a potential safety hazard. These examples essentially idealized the neglect of one’s needs required for a good quality of life, in exchange for a sense of superiority.

TikTok/@isabelle.lux

Products nowadays are not made to last

Have you ever wondered why we still get to brag about wearing clothes passed down by our parents or grandparents? There is an undeniable decline in clothing quality over the years with the influx of Fast fashion. Now, even if you have the intention of wearing a piece for a longer period, the circumstances may just not allow you to, with some coining this state as “Forced overconsumption”.

A glorified version of normality

We are living in a social media dominated society where everything is a trend, branded as an “aesthetic” or “core”. Some argue that this newest core is ultimately describing a person’s regular living style. “Using the same water bottle every day.” “Cutting the tube open to get all the products out.” “Using reusable shopping bags,” aren’t these just normal consumption?

TikTok/@dainty.nugs

“Underconsumption-core” is born out of the influencer culture’s need to romanticize reality, feeding into the obsession of categorizing every part of oneself into a concept and a personality trait. While it is saddening that an ordinary lifestyle needs to be heightened into a trend in order to get any attention, we have to take into consideration that social media had previously normalized overconsumption, and arguably, a performative one.

With All Being Said, Participants Should be Mindful of Moderation When Partaking in the Movement.

If done properly, it can definitely serve as a healthy reset from the former overconsuming behaviors the internet had looped us into.

Are you planning to join the “Underconsumption-core” community?

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