The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bradley U chapter.
Too much sh*t.
That was my exact thought when I opened my makeup drawer filled with barely touched fad products that didn’t work for me. I found a new teeth whitening product (unopened after a year of purchase), an unnecessarily pricey hair oil, and tops that are now screaming trends of 2020 that were not flattering nor my style.
I think sh*t is the appropriate word for what all of that is as well.
I don’t need any of these short-term items, considering I wear maybe five products for my makeup every day anyway, and I have a whitening toothpaste as well as products that already work for my hair that I got from my mom.
We are in a culture that supports overconsumption, and that is a worrying place to be in.
being convinced
As an advertising major, I should appreciate the thought and effort that goes into product advertising, but honestly, being bombarded anytime I scroll on any social media can be so obnoxious. This isn’t even ads directly from companies; it’s also from the content creators that I watch, always promoting very unnecessary products that aren’t related to their content.
It is nearly impossible to ignore all the noise, especially when the noise is catered to you.
These sneaky little algorithms also know exactly what I am interested in, so these ads can be tempting for my wallet, which currently contains 32 cents, so ouch.
There is this culture that supports getting the latest items to show them off or it can lead to the mindset that this one product can help the thing that you are feeling insecure about. We are told to get rid of our insecurities with these magical products that the people we watch use.
“With this product,” says an evil influencer, “all of your worries will go away!”
Consumer culture has significantly changed since social media and online shopping; we can order the most random, niche, unnecessary things and it is possible to receive them within 24 hours.
Consuming is easier; you no longer need to leave the house. There are definitely no negative effects from this, right?
do you need it?
There is always the new THING coming out, grabbing our attention and tempting us to throw out the old.
Do you know of those lists that say what is in and what is out in the new year? It felt like for a bit of time last summer on TikTok (kinda RIP), people were showing their authentic, reusable, and outdated things.Â
People were romanticizing appreciating things that have been used and buying only the necessities, showing that appreciating things for what they are and not that they are trending is important. For just a couple of months, it seemed like getting the newest hot item shoved in your face by the influencers getting paid thousands of dollars to promote this item lost its appeal.
Things can seem tempting when you aren’t sure of yourself or your interests and don’t know what is necessary for your life versus the unnecessary and short-term wants. Thinking you need certain things to be a certain kind of person can create these impulse buys.
Think about whether you really need that new water bottle that you have seen everywhere while you have three sitting in the cupboard.
Being mindful about what you purchase is so important. It can affect your mental health, wallet, and the environment (but that’s a whole other article). Go into this Valentine’s Day with a homemade gift instead; it means more and costs less.
Appreciate the old, out with the new.