Overconsumption In Media

Overconsumption in Media

By Emily Houde

I open up TikTok and I see people receiving 20 packages on their doorstep. They have rooms dedicated to holding their makeup and skincare. They put all of their pantry items into more aesthetic containers. I always wonder, how can this be normal? 

This habit stems from the rise in social media. A report in 2020 by Pew Research said that 69% of people use social media, and that number continues to grow. There are many product reviews out there, all claiming the product is the best. People want to try all of these products. Endorsements like these can increase someone’s likeness to buy by 50%. It brings back the idea of “keeping up with the Jones.” People just want to fit in. 

One way that social media increases overconsumption is targeted advertising. These ads are based on what people like on their feed. They are custom to the people seeing them. People seeing these ads have already expressed interest in the product or a similar product. These ads are just the final thing telling them to buy the product. 

People on social media are promoting these levels of overconsumption. The consumer then starts to believe it’s normal. “If everyone else is doing it, then I should as well.” These are how these dangerous habits start to form. 

Not only are these habits dangerous for the consumer’s wallet, they are also harmful to the environment. One major example of this is the deterioration of the Niger Delta. Niger Delta used to be one of the world's largest wetlands and now, according to Sentient, it now rains acid. This is due to the harmful chemicals released in the air during the oil extraction process. This is incredibly harmful to the ecosystem and the inhabitants of the land. Overconsumption also causes a higher use of raw materials. These raw materials are not unlimited and we just keep draining our supply at a rapid rate. 

We need to start limiting the amount of products we are purchasing. It's not always easy, but the media can’t dictate what we buy. The environment, your health, and your wallet will all benefit.