Underconsumption has been trending on social media for a while now. And as someone for whom underconsumption has just been a normal way of life, I’m invested in seeing this trend unfold. I have noticed that certain criticism of this trend has come from genuine frustration over how sustainable lifestyles have been reduced to aesthetics, only to ultimately promote consumption again.
Not Your Regular Trend;
The way the underconsumption-core trend is being understood just feels wrong. And I don’t mean the participation from ordinary people, but rather the commentary from video essayists and YouTubers who have begun dissecting a phenomenon through the lens of pessimism. I recognise that anything that comes out of TikTok is inherently a trend, but from what I understand, this style of content emerged as a funny response to “haul”, “organize-with-me”, and “declutter-with-me” type of content from influencers who promote overconsumption.
“No buddy, I don’t care if most of the stuff you receive is PR—it’syour display of it as prized possessions that bothers me. Even if you get 7 lipsticks as PR, please go ahead and donate or share them with someone once you’re done reviewing 1 item! And yes even if you swatch things, scrape off the layer to just give it to someone else!”—This is how I would think if I was an influencer with access to an abundant supply of things!
We haven’t seen a trend in a long time that involves active involvement since the minimalism movement in the 2010s. It’s not a trend you can just jump into; you can’t participate in underconsumption immediately unless you have already been doing it for a while. I don’t think anyone who is just hearing about underconsumption will be able to participate in it as easily as being able to buy a new viral product.
They would have to build a life around slower and mindful consumption to be able to participate or make content around this topic. The video material and posts about these are primarily from folx who already have this as a standard practice. It’s different from minimalism where influencers get rid of stuff just for click-bait.
Also read: Where is all the Good Makeup?
In a recent video, YouTuber and content creator Mina Le talks about how we forget that TikTok trends are not an accurate representation of the average life. And I wholeheartedly agree that while most people on this planet don’t actually perceive trends to be life changing, they’re still a major cause for overconsumption.
Creating Solutions To Self-Made Problems!
Recently, NBC reported that underconsumption core may lead to an economic slowdown. And I genuinely don’t care. For consumers to buy, they need to have money too, and sooner or later people are going to get bored of consuming. One person commented under NBC’s video saying, “Is this a joke??? Stop blaming consumers for the recession!!! No one is falling for this, and it’s been years!!”
It was a conversation with a close friend that reminded me how easy it is for people to get sucked into the world of overconsumption by merely showing interest in makeup and skincare. At first, you may just want to try colourful eye makeup, or perhaps you want to experiment with how you look. But then, you start consuming media that constantly makes you believe you don’t look good enough, or, as they market it these days, “You look good, but you could look better!”
Also read: Shopping Cart Filled with Queerness and of Consumerism
Let’s call this friend Freya. As she advanced in her career as a scientist, Freya realised that she needed to look presentable when attending important conferences and meetings. Knowing that I have been practicing and experimenting with makeup for the last decade, Freya asked for my help to start. Eventually, it didn’t matter when I explained how one product can function in multiple ways because Freya fell into the trap of believing she needed all the newest, cutest makeup products. But she quickly realized (thankfully before purchasing anything) that she couldn’t possibly carry around a large makeup bag–she would have to be smart about it and use one product for different purposes.
Have You Seen The Bottom Of Your Makeup Bag?
Underconsumption requires you to consume stuff you already own-–you can’t just get rid of perfectly usable products for the sake of following a trend. The best participants in this trend are people from the Project Pan community. “Project Pan” is a challenge within the beauty community that involves picking out products from your existing collection to consume before you buy anything new. The “pan” in its name refers to the silver base of a makeup pan that only becomes visible when the product is almost completely used up.
For me, the pipeline to underconsumption on my FYP started long ago when the makeup side of the internet started talking about their makeup pan projects. Everyone tracked their makeup usage and shared what looks they created. I won’t lie, I was attracted to this world not because of its values, but because of the sheer satisfaction of using up things and seeing that other people actually DO use their makeup!
It doesn’t have to look like you’ve purchased new things every week, and to truly love makeup is to actually use it! I was watching a video on underconsumption and makeup, and I love the fact that the creator acknowledges that the only way to truly know if you like a product is to finish it and use it in different situations.
Also read: How Fake is the “Queer” Aesthetic
In conclusion, I have always been someone who practices underconsumption—be it my upbringing and my understanding of life and the way climate change gets impacted. I find strength in the idea that I only consume what I choose to—I have the power to decide for myself. I’m not a smart consumer; I’m just a responsible person!
