Social Media and Its Driving Force in Fashion Consumerism

By: Lilease Waldron

As the use of social media increases, so does consumerism, especially with fashion and style trends. Influencers, online resellers, and fast fashion have skyrocketed in correlation with one another and the people that are fueling them; which is us, as the consumers. 

The speed at which we move through trends has only gotten worse with the rise of fashion influencers. Their main job consists of creating new content and guiding trends, all while staying interesting; it’s just miserable that they feel the need to constantly purchase products in order to stay relevant. Re-using, recycling, sewing, and things of that nature have also been gaining in trendiness, which is a better route and has a positive impact. Unfortunately, these influencers can’t slow the trendiness or popularity of influencers who overconsume, either. 

When these mass amounts of influencers eventually convince people to purchase yet another product using easy links, discount codes, and great marketing, the items oftentimes can still be expensive or unavailable. This is where it’s common for people to go the route of fast fashion, and purchase cheap, unethically made products that they’ll inevitably toss or donate within the year.

If not the fast fashion route, buying from online resellers through apps like Depop, Poshmark, and eBay is another common consumer decision to make if looking for a cheaper or more ethical route but still wanting to participate in trends. However, often times resellers with a large following buy out products from thrift stores and hike up the price when they resell. This, combined with influencers and fast fashion sites around every corner, it's really difficult for a consumer to leave unscathed while navigating fashion online.

Keep in mind the point of this isn’t to say social media doesn’t affect consumerism in other categories, either. American culture is rooted in consuming things we don’t need. I've seen the online promotion of products for cooking, pets, beauty, and home improvements, and although sometimes pointless, the items are usually unique in their industry and promote a new idea or hack. When it comes to fashion and clothing, however, production and overconsumption are ridiculously abused. 

I can only hope individuals realize this abuse when viewing fashion content online, and are more thoughtful of their purchases moving forward. That’s the best any single person can do, especially with how deep these issues can run. 

The effect of social media is a mere drop of water within the topic of consumerism, but being able to recognize and understand what we can control is always a step in the right direction.