A new trend has started bubbling away on TikTok that we should talk about: ‘Underconsumption Core’. Sometimes referred to as ‘Normal Consumption Core’. It’s pretty straightforward – users are sharing the mundane, normal things in their homes and lives that they use over and over again. Dirty sneakers they’ve been wearing to the gym for years and years; showers that contain only supermarket brand shampoo, conditioner and body wash; a kitchen shelf of mismatched glass jars; a two-step skincare routine and a crusty bronzer compact.
The focus is on well-used (even worn) items in low quantities, but the most crucial part is the presentation: there is no attempt to showcase these things in an ‘aesthetic’ way. It’s simply what normal life looks like for the vast majority of people.
So is there cultural or political significance to the emergence of the underconsumption trend on this app, at this moment in time? Of course!
The economy is not driving the Underconsumption Core trend
Early analysis of Underconsumption Core (sometimes called Normal Consumption Core) often points to economic factors as the source of the trend. There’s a cost of living crisis, we’re constantly on the brink of recession, etc etc. But it’s an oversimplified explanation, and one that doesn’t quite fit when you examine who started making these videos.
This content is not made by people who are downgrading their lifestyle because of the economy (with the implication that they will soon return to a higher level of consumption or spending). It is everyday people showing what their life has always looked, and will probably always look. Underconsumption videos are snippets of normal life. Just regular stuff.
@lahz0111 since yall liked part 1 so much 🙂 yes I have to clean my sneakers . . . . #circulareconomy #underconsumptioncore #normalconsumption #uninfluencing ♬ Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones
A sharper analysis reads underconsumption core as a reaction to the culture of consumption created by restock, haul videos and the endlessness of influencer recommendations.
Haul and re-stocking videos often feature low cost brands and retailers like Shein, Temu, Target or Amazon. Sometimes they even try to position these brands as an economical solution when everything else feels so ‘expensive’. But there are two key hallmarks: the items are usually consumable and will need to be needlessly ‘restocked’ (applicable even to non-consumable goods like clothing); and even when the items are cheap, the presentation (either lots of volume or highly aestheticised) still signals very conspicuous consumption.
That may be how the life of a creator or influencer looks, but it doesn’t reflect how people who are not creators live or aspire to live.
Is this the start of a political shift?
Unlike the ‘deinfluencing’ trend of 2023, underconsumption core will be much harder for influencers and brands to co-opt. It does not recommend making new purchases or product switches (which many ‘sustainability influencers’ spruik, ironically encouraging new purchases).
Showcasing the reality of what everyday life looks like is a good thing, because the media and wider society have become too comfortable with treating TikTok as if it’s a documentary about young people. Today’s cultural and trend analysis relies too heavily on what influencers or large creators post online, applying those behaviours to the masses as if the entire group (whether that’s young people, women, men, whomever) are all adopting those behaviours. A lot of the time, you don’t actually see these so-called ‘trends’ reflected in offline life. Remember all the noise about the Mob Wife Aesthetic at the beginning of the year? That did not translate into lots of young women dressing like Carmela Soprano out and about, at least not in Australia.
The underconsumption trend is a good reminder for young people, the media and everyone else to not draw too many conclusions from what they see creators posting online. Most young people don’t get a new phone every year; most of us have an ugly bathroom.
But let’s not get too carried away with the idea that underconsumption core will spark an anti-capitalist movement among Millennials and Gen Z. Environmentalist Isaias Hernandez points out that underconsumption core focuses on the individual and doesn’t encourage people to think about the systemic change needed. “The systemic action is still lacking. It’s not pushing people to think more radically… to get back to demanding what’s right – for one, supporting labor unions. When you support labor unions you are supporting people to get paid equitably, to be treated fair and with dignity and respect, and it showcases to other business the unions are a path forward towards economic justice.”
Without pressuring governments to adequately regulate the business sector, issues like labour exploitation, environmental degradation and waste will continue to exist regardless of whether re-stocking videos are trending online or not.
Underconsumption core could be a starting point in a person’s journey to a more radical stance on sustainability and economic justice (which are concepts that go hand in hand). But on its own, it won’t shift the consumer culture online which is still driven by influencers and creators who are still incentivised to sell.
We can just enjoy the underconsumption core moment for what it is: a refreshing online reality check.
Smart people read more:
My Ugly Bathroom – The Paris Review
Powershop & Shell: Why Conscious Consumerism Won’t Solve the Climate Crisis – Zee Feed
Is ‘Underconsumption Core’ Really As Virtuous As It Claims? – Elle Australia
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