Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

As someone who deleted TikTok two years ago, I can tell you that I don’t know much about the microtrends that come and go. It honestly seems like there are millions of them. Nowadays, I may not have full exposure to the rapid cycling aesthetics — Tomato Girl, mermaidcore, and Quiet Luxury to name a few — but I still end up hearing about some of them. 

When I tell people I haven’t been on TikTok in a while, they look at me like I have two heads. After that, they ask me why. It’s kind of hard to explain, but my choice mostly revolved around how much time I was spending on the platform and how much useless information I was feeding my brain. Sure, I’m not perfect. I still catch myself scrolling through Instagram reels sometimes or just doom-scrolling on social media in general, but I genuinely feel like TikTok was much more addicting and a bigger random info dump than any other platform. 

The downside is that, as someone who loves fashion and beauty, I’m not always aware of the current microtrends, many of which originate on TikTok. Now that I think about it, that might not be a bad thing. Microtrends are smaller, shorter-lived fads that are all over social media, especially on TikTok. It feels like people open their Pinterest homepage, take the first four images, put them together in a collage, find a fitting song to overlay it, and create a viral new microtrend. One of the reasons these trends spread so fast is that influencers catch on and find clothing, accessories, and beauty products that fit the theme. Then they tell their audience about how they need to purchase them right now to live out “tomato-girl summer” while it’s still in full swing.

Now, this is where de-influencing comes in. It may seem hypocritical because de-influencing is a trend in itself. The goal of this social media movement is to remind people that maybe they don’t need the heavily promoted products of their favorite influencers right now because, in a matter of weeks, they won’t even be trendy anymore. 

Removing myself from the TikTok world did make me miss out on a lot of these microtrends, but I’m still a girl who, along with her friends, follows influencers on other platforms and sees the rise in certain products. It’s hard not to become curious about why Stanley cups, Drunk Elephant bronzing drops, or Aritzia tops are all the rage when they’re at their peak. But, with a combination of less microtrend exposure and a college student budget, I fell into the de-influenced lifestyle almost automatically. Here’s how it changed my life:

My savings are actually…saving

I don’t know about you, but I always had a bad habit of spending my savings on clothes and beauty products that were trending items of the time. Before I knew it, my savings account was either badly dented…or gone. It makes sense because, for example, the white cowboy boots I bought a while ago weren’t cheap. However, they were super popular for game days last year. What else was I supposed to do? I wanted a pair that would last the entire semester, and I got that — but at what cost?

My skin is better than ever

One of the biggest social media influences that I fell for was many, many skincare products. I mean, it was so essential for the “clean girl aesthetic” in 2022. You had to have the marble tray with fake flowers to accent your entire line of The Ordinary products. I still have all of that, but honestly, after months of applying tons of serums, toners, moisturizers, and masks on my face, my skin needed a break. I took that well-deserved rest and forgot to repurchase some of the products in my old skincare regime. Now, with a much more minimalistic routine, my skin looks even better.

outfits are more fun to put together

Honestly, it was so easy to make outfits when I’d go online shopping for every single accessory and piece that I saw on social media. I already knew exactly how to put it together because I had dissected it head-to-toe, and then, boom, I’d look exactly like that Pinterest girl. Little did I know, I could’ve created the same outfit, if not a very similar one (with my own touch!) from things I already had in my closet. I find it way more exciting to dig through my closet and come up with something unique, whether I’m replicating a look that inspired me online or dressing up basics that I already have.

my space is tidier

A big problem with overconsumption is that it takes up room. New gadgets, clothes, and beauty products all need a place to stay when you finally take them out of their box, and they start living with you. For me, this took the form of needing multiple makeup bags. It got to a point where I couldn’t find certain things because I didn’t know which bag they were in. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but buying less leads to having a more minimalistic space. As someone who loves a tidy room, I’m very satisfied.

Gratitude

The biggest change that the de-influencing lifestyle brought was leading me to become more grateful for the things I already own. This is bound to happen to anyone who starts purchasing less because you’re quite literally stuck with the things you’ve owned and loved for years. I might’ve thought I hated that two-piece knit set that I wore a million times, but after being in the back of my closet for a while, I missed it. Plus, I paired each part of the set with a different top and pants, and it gained its own new life. I’m sorry it’s been a while. I still love you!

De-influencing my life has led me to reflect on my finances and possessions in depth. Stepping away from TikTok, along with gaining a new, skeptical perspective when I see products being promoted on other platforms, changed my lifestyle. And, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!

Gabby Diefenderfer is a staff writer at Florida State University’s Her Campus chapter. She writes for all categories, including culture, lifestyle, and campus. Outside of Her Campus, Gabby served as the editor-in-chief of the FSU Collegiate Merchandising Association’s blog from 2023-2024, managing a team of writers covering fashion, wellness, and pop culture articles. She is currently a senior at Florida State University, double majoring in Psychology and Creative Writing. Gabby’s biggest passions are mental health awareness and music. You can find her playing piano, guitar, or reading a cozy book when she’s not studying. She’s also a huge Lana del Rey fan.