Written By Avery Simmons
Account Executive
In just a few years, TikTok has become one of the world’s leading social media platforms, boasting 1.67 billion monthly active users. The app is a dynamic platform for creativity, self-expression, and community, where users share content ranging from trends and challenges to news, education, and personal storytelling. Its short-form content keeps users swiping through their “For You Page” for extended periods.
Beyond the entertaining videos, TikTok has become a powerful brand marketing tool. Product reviews and hauls, often done by influencers, are particularly popular, showcasing what users buy and their reviews. With the recent addition of the “TikTok Shop,” users can link products directly in their videos, making it easy for viewers to purchase products during a review with a single click. The top-selling categories on TikTok Shop include beauty, household items, fashion, and hair tools priced between $10 and $15. These low prices make purchases feel like no big deal. “Overconsumption Core” has even become a trend on TikTok, where users boast the excessive amount of products they own, such as several Stanley cups, or an excessive amount of makeup lip glosses or blushes. The leading video under this category has over 200,000 likes, demonstrating the popularity of this style of consumption.
Once users engage with a video or buy a product, TikTok’s algorithms use its data to keep similar content appearing on their “For You Page.” This practice, neuromarketing, applies neuroscience to understand consumer behavior, encouraging continuous purchases. With TikTok’s short-form video format and the rise of micro-trends and short-lived trends like “cottagecore” or “clean girl aesthetic,” the consumption cycle continues. Trends that become popular one month may be considered outdated the next.
So, Why does this matter? The issue isn’t just about TikTok users buying products–it’s about the dangerous cycle of overconsumption.
If continued, the Earth’s resources will be depleted–Sentient Media estimates that humans are “consuming the planet's resources 1.7 times faster than they can regenerate, meaning in the long run, we’d need 1.7 Earths to sustain our current levels of consumption.” Those living in the United States are major contributors to this issue. Sentient Media states, “In North America, the average person consumes nine times more natural resources than someone in Africa.” This overconsumption leads to degraded air quality, depleted oil reserves, and deforestation.
To reverse the damage and prevent further harm, TikTok users need to become more
mindful. Before purchasing, Here are some questions to think about before making a purchase:
Do I need this?
What do I already own?
Is it still serving its purpose?
By considering these questions, users might rethink hitting the checkout button. TikTok’s goal isn’t to improve your life with the latest trend; it’s to keep you buying.
Comments