Healthy Consumerism Or Rebranded Mindsets? Here’s The Latest TikTok Trend Causing Havoc

TikTok has seen the emergence and sustained popularity of the ‘-cores’. Essentially just trending aesthetics with the word ‘core’ added to the end to give it that Gen Z flair. Though there is truly nothing more ageing than watching everything your generation popularised fade out to make way for something new, Gen Z’s creativity really shines through with this one.

From blokecore to Barbiecore, TikTok has housed some of the internet’s most impressionable trends in fashion, but only recently has it begun to spread its wings into shaping people’s lifestyle habits. 

Underconsumption core is the newest addition to a long line of core-fuelled TikTok trends. The premise is centred around an attitude of mindfulness and ‘less is more’, particularly at a time when overconsumption is rife and often secondary to many people’s desire to be seen with the next best thing. This has spurred numerous underconsumption influencers to leverage the popularity of this trend as a way of helping young people deal with increasing economic pressures and lead them to becoming a healthier consumer.

But is frugality and minimalism the only way forward? Particularly when the average life cycle of -core TikTok trends is roughly 2-4 months.

WHAT IS THE UNDERCONSUMPTION CORE TIKTOK TREND?

Challenging the culture of consumerism is high on this TikTok trend’s priority list.

The underconsumption core trend favours showing thrift store purchases, modest wardrobes, and practical, well-used everyday items over the large hauls of clothing, makeup or other FMCG products that our social feeds are typically laden with.

Pushing this agenda of “less is more” are hoards of underconsumption and sustainability influencers, just like Pare – or @sabrina.sustainable.life on TikTok – who strive to showcase items that “might not be the newest, but still work”. Where -core TikTok trends typically thrive on mass consumption to achieve the desired look, the underconsumption core trend differs by scaling this back and encouraging a minimalist approach. 

@hope_zuckerbrow

love this trend🫶🏻

♬ original sound – speedz!

Its rise among very aesthetic-driven TikTok trends can be linked to several challenges facing young people today, including increasing economic pressures, environmental concerns, and social pressures which particularly affect Gen Z and younger Millennials. 

Financial pressures

Adapting to increasing financial pressures is a challenge many young people face today. Not only does student debt force them to prioritise debt repayment over discretionary spending, but inflation also continues to erode purchasing, particularly for Gen Zers. 

The underconsumption core trend represents a growing awareness of this by encouraging frugality, upcycling items, thrifting etc. However, this isn’t the only driver of the trend…

Environmental concerns

Mass consumerism accounts for a lot of the world’s most significant environmental issues. In Chile’s Atacama Desert, an estimated 11,000 to 59,000 tons of used clothing is sitting in a landfill. This is just one example of how overconsumption is polluting the environment.

A report from ThredUp, an online vintage-resale platform, found that 65% of Gen Z respondents wanted to shop more sustainably, however, one-third felt “addicted to fast fashion”. 

Despite this, many of these same respondents are, in fact, concerned with sustainability and are actively seeking ways to be more responsible. This is where the underconsumption core trend ties in perfectly. With these younger consumers becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their choices, they are increasingly drawn to sustainable fashion content on socials, drawing a fitting parallel with the Marie Kondo effect. 

By choosing to consume less or more mindfully, younger individuals can project an image of thoughtfulness, responsibility and uniqueness — qualities that are increasingly valued in the social media landscape.

HOW TO BECOME A HEALTHIER CONSUMER

Think back to the early 2000s. We’re certain no one believed that their consumer habits or lifestyle choices would be shaped by the internet, let alone TikTok trends.

Fast forward 20 years and TikTok trends are a key driver for shaping many of us into the consumers we wish to be.

For those wanting to practise healthier consumption habits, it’s important to note that this is a total lifestyle change and we’re here to guide you and help you understand how to sustain it long-term.

Start by striking a balance between frugality and quality of life to maintain your overall wellbeing. Research suggests that a mix between experiential and material purchases can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction. Though we must note that it’s not wise to abandon all material purchases in exchange for experiences. Instead a thoughtful approach which involves both types of spending will likely lead to better outcomes.

Once you’ve got this down, you can then try to improve your financial literacy, through budget creation and understanding types of financial products and solutions that fit your particular needs. This will aid the avoidance of overconsumption and long-term financial stability.

UNDERCONSUMPTION INFLUENCERS TO FOLLOW FOR ADVICE

@venetialamanna

Venetia La Manna is a podcaster and content creator who has turned sustainable fashion into a career. As a co-founder of the Remember Who Made Them movement, she advocates for better practices in the fashion industry. Venetia encourages consumers to support brands prioritising sustainability, reinforcing her position as one of the influencers leading the underconsumption core trend.

@venetialamanna

Big Fashion is dripping in cash, yet it’s refusing to take accountability where it matters. The ‘What Fuels Fashion report by Fashion Revolution reviewed 250 of the highest grossing Big Fashion brands. A whopping 94% of them fail to disclose how much they are investing in supply chain decarbonisation. Instead of investing in a fair transition away from fossil fuels into renewable energy sources like wind and solar, fashion brands are shirking the costs onto the factories that they work with, burdening workers and communities with fixing a problem they didn’t create. The people who make our clothes and have built fashion’s profits in the billions – mainly women in the Global South who are on poverty wages – will be left behind in climate catastrophe unless fashion brands cough up. These workers will be forced to deal with floods, heat stress, storms and more without jobs. This is not fair, and it does not have to be this way. It’s time for brands to pay up and invest at least 2% of their annual revenues into a clean, fair, and just energy transition 💸 🔥 TAKE ACTION!🔥 Click the link in my bio to email all culpable brands, NOW! action.fashionrevolution.org/what-fuels-fashion #sustainablefashion #climateaction #fossilfuels

♬ original sound – Venetia La Manna 🍉

@my_plastic_free_home 

Following the underconsumption core trend can also be about upcycling and DIY adventures too. Kate is an underconsumption influencer on TikTok and Instagram who offers practical sustainability tips for all time constraints. She has gone on to launch The Natural Living Shop, offering 100% sustainable products endorsed by global zero waste influencers.

@my_plastic_free_home

The sweetest firelighters that you’ll never want to use 🔥 I had lots of old candle wax and was trying to think of how to use it up so I made these beautiful firelighters to gift 🎁 All you need to do when you use them is make sure they’re tucked in between the kindling and logs, the wax will just burn away and leave no mess I added pine cones that we’d foraged, the oranges we’d made and some star anise to add fragrance as they’re lit. They smell so beautiful when displayed beside the fire too, like a natural air freshener #myplasticfreehome #firelighters #christmasgifts #thoughtfulgifts #diychristmas #christmasgiftideas

♬ original sound – Kate

@jhanneu 

Jhánneu Roberts, named in the Top 100 Creative in Environmental Impact, empowers her community to live mindfully. Partnering with brands like Grove Collaboration and Volvo, Jhánneu’s content promotes zero-waste living and environmental awareness.

@jhanneu

Things I no longer buy- Low Waste Kitchen Edition! I no longer buy paper towels, instead I use a Swedish dishcloth which replaces up to 17 rolls of paper towels. They absorb 20x their weight and last between 6-9 months. And you can compost them at the end of life! @grovecollaborative Instead of plastic wrap, I use beeswax wrap. Beeswax wrap is reusable! Just be sure not to put it in the dishwasher or use hot water. It can last up to a year and can be composted at the end of life. @beeswax I no longer buy plastic trash bags, instead I buy compostable trash bags made from cornstarch.@holdon These are great eco-friendly, zero waste, and sustainable products for a low waste home. #sustainablelife #sustainableliving #ecofriendly #sustainablelifestyle #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #thingsinolongerbuy #minimalist #minimalistkitchen #zerowastekitchen

♬ Stolen Dance (Instrumental) – Milky Chance

@theraisareyes

Raisa is known in the underconsumption space on TikTok for her creation and sharing of capsule collections, including fashion, makeup, accessories etc. She has a similarly large following on YouTube where she speaks in more depth about how living a minimalist life affects everyday routines and why it is a lifestyle that isn’t only important for the planet and personal finances, but also one that everyone should have a hand at trying out.

@theraisareyes

Replying to @chiara #underconsumption #underconsumptioncore #makeupcollection #skincareroutine #skincareproducts #skincare101

♬ original sound – Raisa | elegance

@sunnysarahanne

Sarah lives off-grid and uses her platform on TikTok to teach passersby all about living with a ‘less is more’ mindset. She educates her followers on what life is actually like when living without immediate access to necessary resources, such as water and sanitation, while promoting the lifestyle in alignment with caring for each other and the planet.

@sunnysarahanne

Living sustainably and budget friendly!! #fyp #trending #underconsumption #xybca #sustainability #offgrid #tinyhouse

♬ Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE UNDERCONSUMPTION CORE TREND?

Critics have been quick to highlight that the tenets of underconsumption core are nothing new. While Pare says, “I love this trend. I love to see how widespread it has become and how many people are participating.”, she also points out that “lower-income individuals have been doing many of the things that are shown in these videos for ages”. This highlights the fact that there is a certain level of privilege that comes with choosing to actively lean into underconsumption and turn it into a form of viral, sharable content.

On a similar note, -core TikTok trends also tend to have a lifespan of just 2-4 months, which, in time, will separate the true sustainable consumers from those who leveraged the popular trend for clout.

It begs the question: Is the underconsumption core trend missing cultural and racial nuance?

@missingperspectives

The #underconsumption core trend isn’t groundbreaking – and here’s why.

♬ original sound – missingperspectives

Perhaps. Although it also speaks to a wider cultural shift, with people looking for ways out of mass consumerism. True happiness derives from hobbies and passions, spending time with loved ones and being involved in your community – not from viral perfume dupes and fast fashion.

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@sociallypowerful