‘Underconsumption core’ trends on TikTok

WASHINGTON—Exhausted from a rising cost of living in the United States and nonstop ads, some young adults on TikTok are pushing back.

“When every moment of your life feels like you’re being sold something and the price of said item keeps going up, people will burn out on spending money,” Kara Perez, an influencer and financial educator, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Social media has long had room only for picture-perfect homes, lavish closets and an abundance of beauty products. But a new trend is sweeping the other way—urging repurposing, more frugal lifestyles and prioritizing quality over quantity.

Known as “underconsumption core,” it spotlights living sustainably and using what you have, a reversal of the excess and wealth that dominates ad-heavy Instagram and TikTok.

“When you get 300 videos on TikTok about people who have 30 Stanley cups, you want to have as many as you can afford. People want to fit in,” said Perez, who repurposes jars as cups.

Consumer fatigue

A video with over 100,000 views from TikTok user loveofearthco critiqued the tendency toward overconsumption often amplified and encouraged on social media: “I spent money I didn’t have on things I didn’t need.”

Another account, nevadahuvenaars, shared what “normal” consumption looks like: used furniture, a modest closet, decor upcycled from glass bottles, meal prep and a downsized skincare collection.

Despite financial hardships felt particularly by Gen Z and millennials, the US economy is thriving, with record corporate profits and high prices on shelves.

In a way, “that feels almost ‘gaslighty’ to consumers” amid a period of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, culture and consumer marketing analyst Tariro Makoni told AFP.

She argued that Buy Now, Pay Later plans commonly adopted by many young adults’ budgets exacerbate consumption and represent a distortion in access to wealth.

But years of inflation have forced many to the conclusion that they cannot keep up with the spending habits of those on their social media feeds.

‘Compulsive behavior’

A Google Trends analysis shows US searches for “underconsumption” hit a high point this summer, surfacing alongside queries about “overproduction” and the “Great Depression.”

Many young adults have developed a “compulsive behavior to spend down to their last pound on a fashion item,” said UK-based influencer Andrea Cheong who recently shared an “underconsumption core” style video of her mending old clothes.

It is an addiction tied to a pressure “to articulate who we are through possessions,” Cheong noted.

In contrast, “underconsumption core” breaks from traditional core trends promoted by influencers, who often sell an ever changing purchasing blueprint embodying the latest trend and aesthetic, according to Cheong. She and Makoni agreed that the shift also reflects increased calls for authenticity from content creators. —AFP