Underconsumption is the new TikTok trend

Every week, a new wave of content emerges on TikTok, often revealing contemporary cultural dynamics in the zeitgeist. Today, the latest trend to stand out on this platform is underconsumption, a form of counterculture that is gaining in popularity in a world where overconsumption has become the norm. Unlike “hauls” in which influencers flaunt their purchases in abundance, underconsumption videos focus on a more modest, minimalist approach to everyday life. In the latter, Internet users proudly display their beauty products, which they use to the last drop, their pairs of sneakers, which they've worn every day for years, and their wardrobe, which consists of a few second-hand garments. In short, under-consumption is defined as a conscious buying pattern, contenting oneself with the bare minimum and waiting patiently to finish all the products already acquired before buying new ones. 

This movement emerges as a response to the excesses of our society, where the accumulation of possessions - instituted by celebrity and influencer culture - seems a perfectly natural thing. A few months ago, during the “Stanley Cups” frenzy, a good number of TikTokeurs shared their excessive collections of their metallic gourds in every possible color.  Videos of beauty gurus stowing away their millions of make-up products in special containers have become a staple on social networks. But really, who needs a hundred gourds or 50 different foundations? 

Because, let's be clear, over-consumption is an act that only the privileged can afford. Social networks have completely normalized this behavior, which in reality is only accessible to a tiny fraction of the population. The haul culture, celebrities and influencers have completely skewed our reasonable sense of consumption. What is now considered “under-consumption” on TikTok may simply describe the daily lives of the majority of us. It's normal to wear the same clothes for several years, to cut up your toothpaste tube to collect the bottom, to repair your shoes so you can wear them longer. Many of the comments under these videos are delighted by the authentic representation of everyday life, far from the “perfect” images to which social networks have accustomed them. People feel less alone thanks to this content. Upcycling, luxury minimalism, disinfluence and today's underconsumption are all counter-currents in a society that overproduces without limit at a time when the ecological crisis is becoming serious. Consumers are increasingly led to question their habits, despite the omnipresent pressure to spend their money on anything and everything.