People have always been body-conscious and class-conscious, makes one wonder, does consciousness about the right things exist? There is always a bandwagon that needs to be dived in – crochet maxi dresses, Adidas Sambas, Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 Trainers, Bottega Veneta hobo bags, and the list goes on. Where is the line drawn between letting people have fun participating in temporal trends and scrutinizing the currency consumers pay with, that literally and figuratively drains them?
Digital platforms easily showcase infinite rave reviews. Two goals are achieved by the algorithm, tell the viewers what they lack and sell what they should have. “I know that rationally I do have enough clothes, like I don’t actually need to buy anything, yet when I get dressed in the morning in my old clothes, they just don’t hit the same way anymore.” Youtuber Louise Wears says in her video “Why do we shop? And why do we think new is better?” The allure of novelty is the incentive for buying. Novel stimuli can increase arousal, leading to short-lived effects on action in the first hundreds of milliseconds after presentation (Schomaker and Meeter) and presently, influencers amplify the novelty effect on customers’ purchase decisions.
Influencers’ manner of communication is one of the key reasons why they can persuade an audience with ease. Social Symone highlights that “Using words like big sister and big sis advice creates a sense of familiarity, warmth and trust, suggesting the person giving the advice is caring, experienced and looking out for the best interests of the listener.” Delving deeper, it is not just the identity influencers appoint themselves to, and the names they call the audience that makes people do what they are shown, it is by making the viewer feel figured out. Through pointing out what the viewer should change about themselves physically or behaviorally, the target audience can be convinced that they need to join the bandwagon or immediately order a product.
This analysis is not intended to shame content creators or hinder personal happiness but to reveal how consumerism can foster financial and emotional insecurity, overemphasis on social status, and compulsive buying. Further along, CNA Insider interviewed Millennials and Gen Z why they are in debt, and one of the participants answered that the fear of missing out on the latest trends and peer pressure of possessing the current popular products keeps her distracted, “Online doesn’t really help because everyone is promoting everything. And it’s tempting for you to shop more and get more foundations in the same shade.” Noticeably, relieving the tension of keeping up is achieved through immediate spending. As it is psychologically draining to constantly strive to conform after being shown one’s inadequacies, consumers’ financial resources are similarly depleted, often allocated to misguided priorities.
A prime method that enables instant acquisition of merchandise is the concept of “buy now, pay later”. Applications such as Afterpay and Klarna facilitate the process of allowing its users to purchase right away and pay the money back in installments. “In our survey, 2 in 3 did not know that BNPL isn’t always an agreement between them and the retailer they buy from, and 4 in 10 didn’t know that they may be approved for BNPL even if they could not afford it.” (“Buy Now Pay Later: What Are the Risks and Benefits to Consumers?”) Beyond the convenience of buying now, paying later is the rush to obtain what is in the latest trends, a desire that can be fueled by social standing consciousness. The core benefit associated with brands is that it symbolizes a rank, and gives status, value, quality to the consumer and thereby enhances the image of the user. (Nandini and Jeevananda, 2014). Indeed, overemphasis on one’s social standing can lead to impulsive shopping and use of services that can backfire in the long run if utilized irresponsibly.
Ultimately, the impact of trends and influencers on consumerism cultivates a cycle of materialism, class consciousness and financial insecurity. There is a necessity to be a wise consumer of both media and tangible products. Being a smart consumer and maintaining enjoyment in personal interest can be possible through focusing on what gives genuine satisfaction and happiness as opposed to succumbing to pressures and temptations.
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Citations:
“Buy Now Pay Later: What Are the Risks and Benefits to Consumers?” The Behavioural Insights Team, 29 June 2023, www.bi.team/blogs/buy-now-pay-later-what-are-the-risks-and-benefits-to-consumers/.
Schomaker, J., and M. Meeter. “Short- and Long-Lasting Consequences of Novelty, Deviance and Surprise on Brain and Cognition.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 55, Aug. 2015, pp. 268–279, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.002.
Nandini, R. and Jeevananda, S. (2014), “To study the factors of consumer involvement in fashion clothing”, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Vol. 7 No. 3
CNA Insider. “Millennials & Gen Z: Young and in Debt. Why? | Talking Point | Full Episode.” YouTube, 3 Apr. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=37oP3T5Cj4E.
Louise Wears. “Why Do We Shop? And Why Do We Think New Is Better?” YouTube, 14 Apr. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf-d5E9EnWI.
Social Symone ♡. “TOXIC Self Care OVERCONSUMPTION Is Keeping You BROKE and UNSATISFIED.” YouTube, 16 June 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxmp01Oj7aE.
picture:
Higgs, Kerryn. “How the World Embraced Consumerism.” BBC, BBC, 21 Jan. 2021, www.bbc.com/future/article/20210120-how-the-world-became-consumerist.
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