While endlessly scrolling through TikTok can be incredibly entertaining, it can also be extremely draining on your wallet. I would know, as I too have been a victim of the oh-so-subtly hidden paid advertisements promoting the new mascara or lip gloss as a “must-have” item or “the best product you’ll try.” But hidden under these peppy promises and lengthy captions is frequently a hashtag followed by a simple word: “ad.” This word often discredits the overwhelming praise you just heard. With the rise of one of their newer features, TikTok Shop, I can no longer scroll through 10 videos without at least one video shamelessly promoting a product, which is linked to the video and available to purchase on TikTok’s very own online retailing platform — conveniently located just a swipe away. Not to mention, influencers post videos of massive hauls of boxes sent to them from companies as public relations merchandise, or PR (the most I’ve seen in one video was nearly 60 boxes). The more I noticed my daily feed being overwhelmed by advertisements, the more I felt compelled to examine my own consumption habits and what had influenced them over the past few years. After looking through my everyday items, I started to wonder, did I really need three different water bottles, which all essentially served the same purpose? What was the point of having five different mascaras or several facial moisturizers that, at the end of the day, all did the same thing?
Upon discovering the sheer amount of things I had, I asked myself a deeper question: where did this consumption begin? How had I allowed it to take over my drawers, cabinets and wallet? Social media, in general, had put me in a constant cycle of finding and buying the newest, brightest and shiniest items. After more reflection, I realized this was in part due to the instant dopamine rush that pressing “buy” gave me and, in part, due to a sense of wanting to fit in.
But now, after noticing these compulsive tendencies, I had to figure out if it was possible to break them and not allow my life to be overtaken by overconsumption. The first thing I shifted was my perception of social media and influencers, asking myself: is this person recommending this to me because they have my best interest in mind, or are they trying to make some extra cash? With this in mind, I have changed my mindset to not allow myself to be swayed by every influencer who comes across my “for you page.” Another thing I have implemented is forcing myself to finish using products before purchasing another one. Rather than buying the types of items I already have, I put them on a long-running list. Doing this has given me enough time to elucidate if it is something I actually want or if I just enjoy the rush of buying. I have since found it is entirely possible (with some effort) to go from an over-consumer to a more conscious one, and hopefully, you can too.
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