Overconsumption-Core - Social Media, Spending, & Pollution
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DescriptionAn article exploring how social media promotes poor financial habits and contributes to pollution.
MessageWe consume A LOT.
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Kim BaschetWhat makes a video satisfying? It is an arbitrary concept, but many internet sections are dedicated to it. Most of this content has displayed itself as organizational and clean; however, these seemingly innocuous videos hide an underlying motivation: money. Countless jars are shown being filled with new products, the small noises produced from wasted supplies, and the color-coded perfection left in the wake of that short video. It’s pleasant to watch, but it promotes unstable ideas and continues to harm our precious Earth.
Overconsumption is buying much more than is needed for an intended purpose. Many of these videos have plastic bottles of laundry scent beads, detergent in plastic capsules, and piles of single-use products bought in bulk and re-organized to be “aethstetic.” These videos also act as marketing for unnecessary household products. Overconsumption, fueled by online marketing and consumer trends, harms financial health and the environment.
Most social media functions through algorithms that record data based on engagement and then recommend content similar to what a person engages with the most. This also functions as a way to sell products through targeted ads, contributing to a consumer culture that allows for poor financial habits to thrive. According to the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the U.S., responsible for overseeing our financial system, attributes an average of $7,236 in credit card debt per household. Many of the purchases that contribute to this debt are non-essential consumer goods. About $1.2 trillion is spent on these products annually, a staggering amount considering that if a person possessing this amount of money could spend one million dollars daily, it would still take over 3,200 years to pay it all. One of the biggest beneficiaries of this marketing has been the self-storage industry, making items that serve as organizational tools for a household, amassing $35.9 billion in 2020 alone. This data all reflects the poor consumer habits resulting from the glorification of overconsumption.
Consumers are not the only victims of these trends; our precious planet is suffering, too. Mainly because only about 9% of plastic waste has been properly recycled. Americans see an estimated 4,000-10,000 ads per day, and the energy required to stage a single ad campaign is an estimated 70 tons of carbon emissions through the technology needed, which does not include the production of the product itself. Ultimately, the energy required to promote and distribute ads and the habits they encourage account for a large percentage of financial stress and pollution.
However, many people are fighting for change by changing the products people use and trying to end these pesky habits fueled by internet culture. Locally, Jess Georges, owner of Green Road Refill in Brewster, has found her way to combat these issues. For the past seven years, she has been fighting for change through her business, which sells eco-friendly products and promotes the reduction of Cape Cod’s plastic footprint through reusing packaging and refilling over 40 different products rather than buying even more packaging for the same product. Originally based out of a “Lorax-themed repurposed DY school district school bus,” she has been working to assist “one person at a time” in changing their habits and leading a more sustainable lifestyle. During our interview, she mentioned how anxiety can fuel these impulsive decisions, leading to a cycle of plastic waste and litter. However, the more intentional purchases become, the less stress results from finances. Her business has refilled an estimated 30,000 products, embodying the idea that “You can’t do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do.”
On a larger scale, minimalism and eco-conscious spending have been found to reduce monthly household expenses by 15-20%. A common way to begin this process is to finish using a product and then replace it with a more eco-friendly product once it has been completed. Another good way to reduce plastic waste is to buy products in bulk, reducing the amount of packaging used, and it is often sold at much lower prices than it would be in smaller containers. Also, homemade cleaning products can be 80-90% cheaper than store-bought products, and reusable cloths save hundreds of dollars each year on paper towels. Although it may seem daunting, being more intentional about purchases and the environment leads to more stable finances and a healthier lifestyle.
Overconsumption is buying much more than is needed for an intended purpose. Many of these videos have plastic bottles of laundry scent beads, detergent in plastic capsules, and piles of single-use products bought in bulk and re-organized to be “aethstetic.” These videos also act as marketing for unnecessary household products. Overconsumption, fueled by online marketing and consumer trends, harms financial health and the environment.
Most social media functions through algorithms that record data based on engagement and then recommend content similar to what a person engages with the most. This also functions as a way to sell products through targeted ads, contributing to a consumer culture that allows for poor financial habits to thrive. According to the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the U.S., responsible for overseeing our financial system, attributes an average of $7,236 in credit card debt per household. Many of the purchases that contribute to this debt are non-essential consumer goods. About $1.2 trillion is spent on these products annually, a staggering amount considering that if a person possessing this amount of money could spend one million dollars daily, it would still take over 3,200 years to pay it all. One of the biggest beneficiaries of this marketing has been the self-storage industry, making items that serve as organizational tools for a household, amassing $35.9 billion in 2020 alone. This data all reflects the poor consumer habits resulting from the glorification of overconsumption.
Consumers are not the only victims of these trends; our precious planet is suffering, too. Mainly because only about 9% of plastic waste has been properly recycled. Americans see an estimated 4,000-10,000 ads per day, and the energy required to stage a single ad campaign is an estimated 70 tons of carbon emissions through the technology needed, which does not include the production of the product itself. Ultimately, the energy required to promote and distribute ads and the habits they encourage account for a large percentage of financial stress and pollution.
However, many people are fighting for change by changing the products people use and trying to end these pesky habits fueled by internet culture. Locally, Jess Georges, owner of Green Road Refill in Brewster, has found her way to combat these issues. For the past seven years, she has been fighting for change through her business, which sells eco-friendly products and promotes the reduction of Cape Cod’s plastic footprint through reusing packaging and refilling over 40 different products rather than buying even more packaging for the same product. Originally based out of a “Lorax-themed repurposed DY school district school bus,” she has been working to assist “one person at a time” in changing their habits and leading a more sustainable lifestyle. During our interview, she mentioned how anxiety can fuel these impulsive decisions, leading to a cycle of plastic waste and litter. However, the more intentional purchases become, the less stress results from finances. Her business has refilled an estimated 30,000 products, embodying the idea that “You can’t do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do.”
On a larger scale, minimalism and eco-conscious spending have been found to reduce monthly household expenses by 15-20%. A common way to begin this process is to finish using a product and then replace it with a more eco-friendly product once it has been completed. Another good way to reduce plastic waste is to buy products in bulk, reducing the amount of packaging used, and it is often sold at much lower prices than it would be in smaller containers. Also, homemade cleaning products can be 80-90% cheaper than store-bought products, and reusable cloths save hundreds of dollars each year on paper towels. Although it may seem daunting, being more intentional about purchases and the environment leads to more stable finances and a healthier lifestyle.
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