Are we becoming too self-aware for social media?

Can a society built around consumerism survive the internet's current discourse?

Gen Z has grown up on the internet.

Half of us weren’t born when Facebook was founded, and yet our coming of age has been intrinsically linked to the rampant takeover of social media channels in society. The vulnerabilities of our youth have paralleled the growing corporate greed of multiple platforms whose only goal is converting our attention into sales.

They’ve learnt the most effective method is mixing this relentless call to consume with engaging content, in order to trick us into viewing these apps as entertainment rather than marketing - but there’s no mistaking that their business models rely on unparalleled access to consumers and their wallets.

two opposing trends on the same platform

Is it any wonder that we’re beginning to question these systems now we’re old enough to see through it all?

The internet’s chosen fashion discourse has recently taken a surprisingly self-aware turn. Outfit blindness, underconsumption core and brat summer are all taking place in online spaces designed to encourage mindless consumerism - ironic, considering they’re all anti-consumeristic at their core.

Social media has bred a culture of near-constant trend aesthetics that allow us to try on personalities like they’re costumes. This has never been so easy thanks to fast fashion making overconsumption accessible to absolutely everyone - drop $100 at Shein and come away with more than just poorly made clothes; you’ve bought into the habits, beliefs and ideals of whatever trend is filling your feed. Bored after two weeks? No worries, throw that costume out, we’re all obsessed with being an ‘office siren’ now: here’s the clothes, makeup, and attitude you need for your next role.

You can bet the ‘core-initiation’ of our lives and the subsequent effects of TikTok’s consumerism culture on our sense of self will be studied in the years to come.

But the pendulum always swings back. Hence, Tiktok has recently been invaded by an influx of videos obsessed with buying less, asking the question of why they need to buy so much and romanticising a paired-back life rather than one filled with the last must-have lipgloss or designer dupe. ‘Underconsumption-core’ may be rebranded minimalism, but Tiktokers are convinced they’ve discovered something entirely new: and “commenting to stay on underconsumption tiktok” is their pledge of allegiance.

Can you talk about underconsumption on a platform built around buying?