Fall is a season beloved by many. In our current over-consumeristic culture, a common way for us to show interest in something is to buy stuff related to it. This not only provides a serotonin happy high from buying something, but it also makes us feel more connected to what we love or want to be a part of. Fall is the current victim of big corporations and the internet who have exploited our love for it. Nothing is safe from pumpkin scented body products, candles, lip products, flavored drinks, and decor featuring pumpkins, leaves, and pinecones.
Companies get us to keep buying stuff by painting their promoters, often influencers, as our friends. They make content that revolves around shopping, and they talk to us as their “besties.” This forms an artificial and parasocial connection. It convinces us that they just don’t want us to miss out on something good as they tell us “RUN DON’T WALK” to go buy an item before it’s gone.
Spending is something that occurs daily, but when it is advertised to us in short form content such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels as entertainment, it turns shopping into a fun activity in the psyche of the viewer. For instance, when a creator has their entire account revolve around shopping, they often make content hunting down items, sometimes even going to multiple stores in one day just to see what they can find. This turns shopping into a game, and it influences you to do the same. They post extreme shopping hauls filled with clothing, beauty, and hygiene items multiple times a week, gathering huge collections that just leave you wanting to shop.
During this fall season, the hot clothing items everyone seems to need to get their hands on are chunky sweaters, cloaks, trench coats, denim vests, wide leg pants, long skirts, Mary Jane shoes, and leopard print everything. When it comes to hygiene and beauty, gourmand vanilla scents are highly encouraged and it’s only acceptable if your makeup follows trends labeled as “coffee girl,” “tired girl,” and “rockstar grungy girlfriend makeup.” While you may already have similar items, influencers entertain you to death with their constant promotions that make you feel like what you have is inadequate.
If you thought that was a lot of items already, these influencers also want us to buy fall decor. They market things to us such as throw blankets with ghosts on them, pumpkin shaped pillows, and pinecones to fill decorative bowls that they accessorize their cold, minimalistic houses with. Many influencers’ houses remind me of a set that is easy to decorate for every season with junk that they want you to buy. They use their houses that are generally blank slates, to entertain us by showing videos of them decorating. It certainly can be entertaining to watch someone redecorate for the season, but decor is something that is not necessary for life. The problem today is that year after year, people are influenced to buy new decor. It comes to a point where there is not even enough space to store all of the things that were bought. Then the older stuff that is still in relatively new condition gets thrown away.
Let’s be real now. Fall is very loved, but that doesn’t constitute a shopping spree on behalf of the season. There is nothing wrong with using, and more importantly, appreciating what you already have. So, this fall season instead of swiping your credit card for new items, maybe take a deep dive into your closet, pull out some items that you haven’t worn in a while, and the decor that you used in previous years. I promise they will feel brand new!
It can be hard but let this form of influencer advertising through entertainment be just that, entertainment. Do not let yourself get sucked into entertainment that is trying to get you to buy something. These influencers are not your friends and when fall is over, they will be getting you to try and buy something else that you don’t need.
My advice is to enjoy the fall in other ways like going on a walk and appreciating the falling leaves or baking to fill your home with a sweet smell!