“Amazon Basics you NEED”
“It girl MUST HAVES”
“Do yourself a favor and get this ASAP”
“This is your sign to get…”
“RUN don’t walk to Amazon right now”
Within 10 minutes of being on my phone and social media, I saw all of these phrases attached to a picture or a video promoting some sort of product. Personally, I have been very prone to fall into these ad traps. Especially when these types of ads are not being promoted directly by the company, but from people who are just like me or are people I want to be like. Basic advertising sales techniques include promoting a sense of urgency and being part of the “in-crowd”. Social media has seen a new rise to these techniques through the use of influencers and as of late, I feel like I have been inundated with these types of ads.
It’s so easy to just click on the link that’s attached to the video, use my Apple Pay, and have a fun package delivered to me in a few days! Then I realize that I already have 30 t-shirts collecting dust in my closet… maybe I don’t really need another one. Or, I don’t need to get a 20 pack of bows from Amazon when I have loose ribbon that works just fine!
Content creators like Mikayla Mains, Michelle Skidelsky, and Aria Connor advocate for “deinfluencing”. Kris Ruby, president of Ruby Media Group defines deinfluencing as, “an emerging social media trend that discourages consumers from buying certain products that the deinfluencer has found to be indulgent, ineffective or not worth the money”. In other words, it means to rethink purchasing a product just because it’s been promoted to you. Deinfluencing is especially important in consideration of how much fast fashion is being promoted on social media. Trends come and go so quickly and fast fashion products both impact the individuals who are making the products as well as the environment as they often end up in landfills. It’s also more than just fashion. It’s desk organizers, electronics, stationary, decorations, the list is endless. But it all leads into the cycle of harmful consumerism and lack of sustainability. I have found it really important and beneficial for me to deinfluence my spending habits. It’s helped me stay more sustainable, resourceful, and save money (win!).
Here are a few ways that have helped me deinfluence my purchases:
- Is this a Want or a Need?
“Need” is a word that is thrown out a lot. Taking a pause and determining whether or not said product is something I actually need in my life, or is just something I want is important. Because most times, it’s just a want.
- Wait a day or two
Once I’ve established that this is a product that I want , I’ll wait a few days before I buy it. If I’m still thinking about buying the product a few days later, I’ll reconsider buying it and make a decision from there. But oftentimes, I’ve long forgotten about the product which goes to show that I didn’t want it that badly in the first place (and certainly didn’t need it).
- How often will I use this product?
As I said before, trends cycle so quickly. It’s fun to participate in what’s trendy and be a part of what’s cool, but buying new products for every new trend and never using them again just isn’t sustainable. It not only hurts your bank account, but it also can negatively impact the environment which disacred products going into landfills.
- Is there something I already own that can substitute this product?
An influencer I follow on Instagram once promoted a desk drawer organizer from Amazon. The organizer fit perfectly in her drawer and all her makeup looked so aesthetically organized. I thought “OMG that’s so perfect, I should get that”. But before I clicked on the link to buy it, I thought about what I already owned. I have an old broken mug that I’m not using anymore, that can hold all of my makeup brushes! I have a small makeup bag that is buried somewhere, that would be perfect for holding all of my loose products. While my drawer may not have looked as aesthetic as the influencer with the Amazon organizer, I used what I already had and it worked just fine. Repurposing what you already own gives new life to old things and I think, makes it more personal.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s so fun to buy new things and I also don’t think it’s always bad to do so. But I do think it’s important to deinfluence our purchasing habits. I hope this article encourages you to reshape your thinking before buying something and also saves you some money in the long run;).
References:
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/06/11/us/deinfluencing-tiktok-trend-explained-cec/index.html