Edited by Trinity Roche
Deinfluencing is a growing trend on social media. In order to understand this trend, we should ask: what is deinfluencing? The definition differs from person to person. For some, deinfluencing means telling people to buy this instead of that (buying e.l.f lip oils instead of the Dior ones) and for others, it means encouraging people to stop buying items that they don’t need.
I see it as being more intentional when you are shopping. I see deinfluencing as an idea that combats influencer culture. Similar to the “that girl” trend, influencer culture tends to make us feel bad about what we don’t have and consume. Deinfluencing combats that; it encourages people to reconsider before buying.
Several sales occur during this season. Many people are susceptible to them, including myself. If you ask anyone I know, they will tell you that I have an obsession with buying things that I don’t need.
For example, I couldn’t let the Sephora sale happen without buying at least one product I didn’t necessarily need after seeing it on TikTok. I deleted multiple items from my cart but still ended up buying more than I needed to. When the sale rolled around, I saw it as an opportunity to finally checkout on items I had been waiting to buy.
The “treat yourself” mentality has become normalized on TikTok. Influencers are encouraging people to take care of themselves in multiple ways, with one of them being consumption. Brands are taking advantage of this mentality to promote their products. Influencers are working with brands to push those items but sometimes they don’t even love those products themselves.
Mikayla Nogueira, a TikTok beauty influencer, was accused of lying about the results of a mascara that she was promoting. In the video, she applied mascara to her natural lashes before cutting to a different shot where her lashes looked much fuller and longer. Many people accused her of adding on a pair of false eyelashes to enhance the effect of the mascara to her audience. This video caused more people to become aware of influencer culture across social media.
As a little test for myself, I scrolled on TikTok for a minute to see how many videos I could come across where an item was being promoted. Out of the three I watched, one was a haul and another was a sale that is occurring right now. This doesn’t mean that we should avoid social media. It just means that we should be mindful of what we’re watching and ask more questions before we checkout.
What are some things to keep in mind when shopping? I haven’t completely mastered this yet, but I like to ask myself if I would wear or use those items five years from now. Is it something that’s just trending or is it a timeless piece? Do I already have some version of that item? Do I want it because everyone else has it or because I genuinely like it?
Don’t get me wrong, I am so easily influenced by the things I see on social media. If I see enough videos on a makeup product, I will pick it up the next time I’m in store. However, by recognizing my habits with the help of those around me and deeper research into this trend, I have started questioning my choices when I feel myself being influenced to buy something.
Deinfluencing is a trend that addresses consumption habits pertaining to influencer culture. It doesn’t tell people to stop spending; it just encourages them to think before hitting checkout.