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Overconsumption
By Isla Wilson, Cole Hayes, and Kaden Fazio-Vives
Overconsumption, where humans use more resources than they produce, has a profoundly negative impact on the environment and human health. A tremendous amount of waste is being produced by items such as fast fashion or trending products that are quickly discarded after the fad has passed. Large portion sizes in fast food restaurants, especially in the United States, significantly contribute to obesity and poor quality of life. Overconsumption is worsening over time, and it’s already causing significant issues.
First, the intense increase in trash is harmful to the environment because the plastic bottles and containers that many products are packaged in are not biodegradable. Additionally, creating these products requires the depletion of the Earth's resources. Seth Millstein, a journalist, comments on this growing issue: “No matter how you look at it, the upshot is the same: If we use resources at a faster rate than we can regrow or extract them, we’ll eventually run out of resources.” He explains that this leads to destructive resource extraction and pollution, which happens too quickly and frequently to be fixed effectively. An article from the website Net Impact adds, “Overproduction and overconsumption add to the already-high levels of pollution and toxic gases that contribute to global warming,” demonstrating that overconsumption not only takes away important resources but also emits toxic chemicals, which require more resources to remove; it’s a lose-lose situation.
Trash Increases
Trash Increases
Labubu
Labubu
The largest contributor to this is the internet and its constantly shifting trends. Short-form content, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, relies on excitement and attention to generate engagement. To do this, they may mention new products because, above all, people love buying and owning things.
Labubu
Labubu
A popular, recent offender is the Labubu franchise, which has exploded in popularity due to its internet traction and high prices, painting it as a treasured, exclusive item, which draws lots of people to it.
Labubu
Labubu
Finally, to appeal to an easy audience, they target kids. For example, Labubu’s are fluffy plush toys with bright, colorful packaging, resembling any other children’s toy, the only notable difference being the price tag.
This product is not the first to do this, and certainly not the last. These kinds of trends cycle through abnormally quickly because there is always a new trend to replace them, creating a constant flow of purchases for the public and a constant flow of engagement for content creators. The root of the problem is how rapid this cycle is, and fixing it would be a larger problem than telling people to stop, because the internet is so involved in it.
Shein
Shein
The rise of fast fashion has also greatly impacted the environment. Fast fashion became increasingly popular in the 1970s as companies saw a way to mass-produce trending clothing to make a profit; since people were getting more and more involved in fashion, this seemed like a smart idea to churn out money. However, as time has passed, ethics have begun to get fuzzy, and real damage is being done to the planet.
Temu
Temu
GW Law states that "The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide…less than 2% of them make a living wage. This leads to workers living below the poverty line, and the European Parliament has even described the conditions of factory workers in Asia as 'slave labor.'" This example shows the immorality of fast fashion — by abusing the labor laws of poorer countries, companies can use modern-day slavery to mass-produce cheap clothing.
Portion Sizes
Portion Sizes
Portion sizes in fast food are becoming larger, especially in the United States, where obesity is the most common. The National Library of Medicine states that “Restaurants are using larger dinner plates, bakers are selling larger muffin tins, pizzerias are using larger pans, and fast-food companies are using larger drink and french fry containers.” Portion sizes have increased drastically over the past 20 years, with items doubling or tripling in size.
Causes and Effects of Supersized Portions
Causes and Effects of Supersized Portions
So, why are people still choosing to buy large portions when their health will obviously be impacted by it? Fast food has become a staple in most U.S. households because of its convenience and low prices. Supersized portions are typically cheap, and it makes people think that they’re getting more for less money. They’re not wrong, but what most people don’t realize is that these supersized portions are extremely detrimental to their health. An article from the Cleveland Clinic states, "Unhealthy diets increase your chances of developing depression, cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions." People in the United States are at a high risk of developing these conditions, and the country has one of the highest global obesity rates. Plus, most fast food items are high in sodium. A diet consisting mostly of fast food would lead to a huge excess of sodium in the body, which can lead to many serious complications. Since processed food is so normalized, most people consume too much salt without even realizing it. Ultimately, eating fast food once in a while is okay, but avoid eating it too often as it can cause serious health conditions.
In conclusion, overconsumption is tempting, but not worth the risk it poses to the environment. It targets people through misinformation, manipulation, and generally negative, harmful methods. But, overconsumption is generally unavoidable as it has become a large part of consumer culture. Many people indulge in overconsumption without even realizing it. However, there are ways to reduce your consumption rates. This includes activities like thrift shopping, regularly cooking food instead of eating out, and being mindful of your online shopping. While overconsumption is not entirely avoidable, we can all still put in an effort to cut down on it.
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