The human population is consuming more than it ever used to, and at a quicker pace than the planet's resources can regenerate. At such a rate, we will need 1.7 Earths to maintain our levels of consumption. This makes it absolutely clear that if we want to keep living on this planet, our habits need to change.
Therefore, Gen Z is taking matters into their own hands with the ‘underconsumption core’ trend on TikTok. Tired of influencers proudly displaying hundreds of skin care products and clothing pieces, they are showing their own well-used products and modest wardrobes. It’s their way of saying that we need to consume less. Otherwise, soon we won’t have a planet to live on.
Scroll down to find ways to cut costs and help the Earth, and be sure to check out a conversation with crochet designer, upcycler, thrifter, and founder of Studio Lieselottie Sophie Klein from Budapest and TikToker Lisa, who embraced minimalism and participated in this trend. Some of their ‘underconsumption’ examples can be found below, too!
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To learn more about why the young generation felt the need to break the overconsumption cycle and how others can do that too, we reached out to two Gen Z representatives who do their best to consume less and shared their experience on TikTok.
Crochet artist and thrifter Sophie Klein from Budapest told Bored Panda that she has been on this journey for the last 6 to 7 years. “I started when I moved out for the first time and had to make a lot more decisions about what and how I consume. The constant talk about global warming and how we destroy our planet with our consumerism made me very anxious, so I decided to change something about the way I live.”
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At first, she was tempted to dive in head first and go zero-waste, but she quickly realized that putting so much pressure on herself might deter her from sustaining such a lifestyle.
“So I decided to only buy second-hand clothing because the fashion industry has one of the biggest negative impacts on our environment. I'm also trying to produce less trash, using reusable things like jars and containers, tote bags instead of plastic, etc.”
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Sophie decided to participate in the ‘underconsumption core’ trend because she believes that it has the power to change the way people view consumerism. “It takes us out of the constant flow of advertisements we see on social media and hopefully inspires people to change their consumer behavior because we tend to rely on the dopamine we get from new things to make us happy, but as we all know, that’s not what gives us satisfaction long-term.”
She also mentions, “It was very refreshing to see people doing the polar opposite of what most influencers are doing on social media (selling).”
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Meanwhile, TikToker Lisa has been living this way out of necessity for the majority of her life. “I was taught to use up everything we had before buying new stuff and to be very mindful of what we buy! I wanted to share my thoughts on the „trend“ since I’ve noticed a lot of people in poverty or lower-wage classes get judged or shunned because of what they call a „frugal“ lifestyle, and I wanted to say that it’s absolutely okay to fully use your things until they aren’t usable anymore.”
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She also agrees that this trend, which might not look serious to some, has the power to convince others to be self-aware about the products we already have. She has even seen people starting Project Pan/NoBuyMonth ever since ‘underconsumption videos went viral.
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”Project Pan/NoBuyMonth is a project where you don't buy anything new for a set period of time, usually a month, and try to use up as many products as you have until you reach the „Pan," the metal in which most make-up is filled in,” Lisa explained.
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The advice Sophie has for anyone wanting to cut costs and help the planet is to reflect on what they’re consuming too much of and what they’re willing to change. “Am I able to eat less meat? When I go shopping, what is the thing that creates a lot of trash? Can I easily exchange plastic bags, cups, and boxes for reusable items? Do I really need the latest microtrend, or can I make do with the piles and piles of clothes I already have?”
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Lisa suggests making lists and thinking about what one actually needs on a day-to-day basis. “I would also recommend NoBuyMonth or Project Pan since it's a fun challenge but also makes you a bit more mindful of the things you use, and it gets exciting whenever you fully empty a shampoo bottle, for example!”
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“Repurpose clothing or donate to your local thrift store or shelter!” she adds. “I used to have an abundance of clothing, which I wouldn’t get to wear everything since I had so much! I donated over 70% of it to a local charity store and gave the rest to my friends and family!”
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Lastly, Sophie concluded by saying, “It’s a process, and trying to be perfect from the start puts a lot of pressure on everyone, so try to change what you can, and you will automatically take on a less consumption-focused take on life.”
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