Consumerism: globalisation, fast fashion + social media

For a while now I've been interested in consumerism, fast fashion and their effects on our well-being and the planet. While researching for a recent project, it was interesting to find how intertwined consumerism is with globalisation, along with the rise in social media advertising in the form of trending hauls. Especially now where TikTok videos are so popular. Here, I share with you my findings in the hopes that they will encourage you to think more about what you buy and where from. Important information is highlighted in bold for easy reading, though I do encourage you to read all you can at some point. Refer to the Terms + Definitions tab above for any words or phrases you haven't heard before.

Consumerism: the social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. It refers to the consumer ideology of Western Society which revolves around customers being encouraged to buy anything, regardless of whether it is actually a necessity. Driven by personal desire, social pressure, status signalling and accelerated by increase in access to resources and choices available, consumerism is being greatly accelerated by globalisation.

The concept of consumerism is not a new thing. In older times, the person with the most stuff survived, this could indicate one reason why we feel the need to buy so many items without a use for them. The mid-18th century marked beginning of the modern definition of consumerism, with people beginning to see material possessions as an indicator of social status.

Now, in the 21st century, technology is advancing quickly. Globalisation, by way of free trade agreements between various countries, has made it easy for brands to make their products in countries where labour is cheap and transport it to anywhere in the world. With the rise in social media and access to technology and advertising, it is easier than ever for companies to showcase their goods in ways that make individuals feel as though they are losing if they do not have the item. Material possession has become a symbol of identity and social status. Linking material possession with these qualities can often cause issues including stress, anxiety, and even depression. The Covid19 pandemic has made online shopping more popular. Now people don’t even have to leave their homes to get these items and the short-term hit of dopamine they produce.

Notice the description “short term”. With trends becoming ever shorter as items are deemed off-trend by influencers through social media, items are thrown out almost as quickly as they are bought. One highly significant contributor to consumerism and its negative impacts on our world is fast fashion.

Fast Fashion: a term used to describe a highly profitable and exploitive business model based on replicating catwalk trends and high fashion designs, mass producing them at low costs.

Platforms including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube encourage hauls, short-lived trends, and material-focused social status. The shorter these trends become, the more demand for mass production which results in increased waste and ultimately accelerated change in climate.

Currently the production cycle goes like this: make, use, trash. This must change to a closed loop production with remaking, reusing, and recycling. Some companies, including H&M and Burberry currently burn excess stock to protect their brand so it cannot be sold at discount prices or duplicated! They claim to capture the energy by way of burning. Recycling clothing is difficult, tedious, and costly. It would take H&M more than a decade to thoroughly recycle what it sells in just a matter of days! A definite sign that they must change these ways.

What’s worse is that the countries consuming the most and producing the most waste are not the ones feeling the consequences yet. The countries that consume the least, feel the effects of climate change the most. We cannot buy our way out of climate change. Reducing our consumption, in all unnecessarily materialistic parts of life, is a key part in reducing climate change. However, it’s not just up to us as individuals. While watching what you buy and where you buy it from is one way of making a small change, it’s big companies that must pitch in.

Companies must clean up their mess, leave fossil fuels in the ground and invest in renewable energy technology. In 2018, France banned fashion retailers from throwing away unsold clothing. This is a start and more countries should follow suit.

As an individual there are things you can do to limit your clothing consumption:

- Limit the expansion of your closet

- Define your style to keep from buying things you won’t wear

- Resist impulse buys

- Recycle and reuse material

- Buy second hand

- Only buy durable clothes that will last

- Air dry to save energy.

We must also put pressure on big companies to change their ways.

While most of the effects of consumerism are negative, there are some positive aspects, however most of these are only positive for the companies and economy. Consumerism…

• Creates job opportunities

• Contributes to business profits, national gross domestic product (GDP) and global economy

• Promotes fair marketing practices and high-quality production

• Encourages competition in business for better products

• Brands with satisfactory products survive

I feel that these are heavily outweighed by the negative impacts on individuals and our planet.

× Material possession has become a symbol of identity and social status which can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression

× Increased consumption may increase product prices

× Reckless lending and issuance of credit cards can raise debt levels

× Consumerism affects consumers moral values and principles

× Environmental damage through industrial pollution, waste disposal, over exploitation of natural resources to name a few

× Poor treatment of workers in developing countries.

Consumerism is a power-hungry way of making us feel like we must always have the newest things and best trends. However, using the same strategies that currently give a negative outcome, we could flip it around. Advertise sustainable, fair-trade businesses and products. Promote the need for clean energy. Base trends around upcycling, buying second-hand and needs rather than wants. With globalisation accelerating the rise in technological advancements, this could become reality as soon as we let it and consumerism could become a positive for all.

Find TCOW on Instagram @tochangeourworld

Contact for questions: tochangeourworld@outlook.com

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Bibliography/references: www.wallstreetmojo/consumerism ; CrashCourse - YouTube ; www.dwijproducts.com/post/globalization-and-consumerism