If you own multiple Stanley Cups, enjoy a 10-step skincare regimen or fill your fridge with numerous colour-coordinated foods, we have bad news. The microtrends of yesteryear are out, and consuming less is in. Let’s explore why.

The answer, at first, looks obvious. A record number of under 30s are living with their parents, many see over 50% of their salary go on rent, and getting on the property ladder isn’t a concept, it’s a fairytale. Yet social media feeds are filled with extreme consumption – from excessive makeup and skincare to clothes hauls and water bottles (yes, seriously), to wellness products and home accessories. Countless TikTok videos are accompanied by the ‘15% off when you use my code!’ caption in a neverending cycle of product exhaustion. It’s unsurprising, then, that young people are repelling against the pressure to consume. But is there more to the story?

It’s All Getting A Bit Annoying

There’s been a noticeable shift in young people disowning ‘trend forecasters’ on TikTok. Since the explosion of Adidas Sambas and the recent #BlokeCore and #ScandiGirlSummer, young people are denouncing microtrends (no wonder, when trend forecasters are calling Sambas an ‘ick’ after dubbing them the shoe for the summer) and encouraging others to cut back the amount they consume. 

One TikToker, Heidi Becker, performs spoken word poetry mocking overconsumption in a video with millions of likes. 

“It's giving in my brain rot overconsumption coded slam poet era.” – Heidi Becker

Suddenly, young people are showing off their dirty trainers and crumbling makeup palettes, growing veg in jam jars and upcycling clothes. To add a touch of nostalgia and warmth to the trend, many pair their videos with Norah Jones' 'Don't Know Why'; a song that sparks memories of childhood days when that album was a staple in every household. 

The pro-consumers of 2022, such as 24-year-old influencer Kaeli Mae, are increasingly under scrutiny from other young people – being called out for promoting single-use plastics, unnecessary Amazon gadgets and buying a new iMac (when the old one worked perfectly well), just so it fits with the ‘office aesthetic’. 

“I’d also say, as a member of the younger generation, I’m so overwhelmed by the amount of advertisements and products that are constantly being pushed in front of my face. Obviously, this is capitalism, but I’m so fatigued by it. I don’t want to buy more stuff!!! Instead of buying stuff that makes me look like I fit in a certain aesthetic, I’m just using stuff I have and making it my own!” – YouTube commenter, ‘rachelm7592’

“I see the underconsumption trend more as a way to show gen z and gen alpha that the overconsumption, that is pushed on them practically 24/7, is not the only way.” – YouTube commenter, ‘RockingNeverland_’ 

It’s exhausting when the product you’ve just bought to stay on trend is demoted to an ‘ick’ by a select group of people with extraordinary control over the market. For many young people, underconsumption is a breath of fresh air. But is it for the right reasons? Does every little aspect of life need to be turned into a trend? 

A Whiff Of Classism? 

Some have criticised underconsumption core for glamorising a harsh reality. For those where underconsumption isn’t a choice, it is fair to argue that turning it into a ‘cute’ trend is disrespectful and out of touch. 

“Having essentials that are holy grails is SO CHIC” – TikTok user

Fashion and survival have always been in tandem. Throughout history, fashion trends have often borrowed elements from working-class lifestyles, such as distressed clothing or minimalist aesthetics. No wonder the underconsumption core angers some groups: would you like the poverty line turned into a fashion statement? 

“My culture of underconsumption is not your costume!” – TikTok user

But underconsuming doesn't necessarily mean you’re appropriating the reality of others. For some, living sustainably is their way of contributing to the environment and reducing landfill. 

“Wanting to live more sustainably and extend the life of your items does not make you poor. It's a good thing.” – TikTok user

“Tbh as a formerly poor person I hate all those "oh but poor people don't have a choice don't romanticize it" No!!!! Romanticize it!!!!! I would've loved to see my room made of mismatched hand me downs and my wardrobe a good five or ten years behind the current fashion as aspirational!!” – YouTube commenter ‘idioteza’

“They could never make me hate underconsumption core. we desperately need to UNnormalize the insane level of consumption going on rn and I think romanticization is a powerful tool.” – YouTube commenter, ‘171emilyrox’

“As someone who makes 30k a year and was miraculously able to buy a home (be it an older non-aesthetic home) I love seeing people make content that doesn't promote living beyond their means. Underconsumption core says to me not only do I not need to feel guilty or embarrassed for having old things but I am also not alone.” – YouTube commenter, ‘Meowzels’

Just Another Microtrend?

A VoiceBox content creator, Prosper Ishaya once said, “The internet is universal, but it isn’t uniform”. Everyone’s interpretation of the online world is different, with thousands of communities finding themselves in distinct echo chambers reiterating the same information over and over. 

Some would argue there’s nothing wrong with this. After all, echo chambers are designed to keep our feeds relevant and interesting. But they also risk locking us into linear messaging (Sambas are ‘out’ and underconsumption is ‘in’), with no fluidness or flexibility. It begs the question: is underconsumption genuinely here to stay? 

“To me it’s crazy seeing this trend because I remember the beginning of January seeing people fighting over Stanley cups, now this” – YouTube commenter, ‘luvisamixtape’

Some critics argue that underconsumption is embraced superficially by those cultivating a certain image online: instead of genuine lifestyle changes, it's used for performative frugality and social media clout. The same people flaunting their ‘underconsumption aesthetic' secretly have 10 Stanley cups and 40 pairs of shoes in their closets. 

“Do you actually care about cutting down on waste, or do you just want to look like a person that does?” – YouTube creator Tiffanyferg 

There’s no denying that underconsumption is ‘on trend’ right now. Perhaps it’s fair to argue that some groups only participate because it’s popular and relevant to building a following. But the content we receive at VoiceBox proves that there are other young people quietly cutting down without necessarily posting it on social media. With influencer culture increasingly being rejected, perhaps this is just one subcategory of ‘taking back’ buying power. 

Whatever the reason, the environment, and our bank accounts, will thank us. A pretty good deal, don’t you think?