TikTok & Microtrends: A Recipe for Overconsumption

TikTok has evolved into a hub for everything! Meal ideas, outfit inspiration, restaurant recommendations, DIY projects, travel content, and much more. What started as a space for creative expression has also been a hotspot for influencers and, in turn, mass consumerism.

More than ever, we recognize that influencers are not just sharing content, they are shaping buying habits and encouraging their followers to consume. This is most apparent in the world of fashion, where TikTok users witness fashion trends blow up overnight, only to disappear just as quickly, replaced by the next "must-have" look. These fleeting and unsustainable cycles are known as microtrends.

Microtrends each follow a certain aesthetic, creating short-lived obsessions with specific styles. Some well-known examples include "cottage-core," a romanticized country-side-inspired look, the "clean-girl aesthetic", highlighting minimalistic characteristics and effortless beauty, and "fairy core", which embraces whimsical fashion. Most recently, "fisherman core" yet another example of TikTok's ability to make niche aesthetics mainstream in days.

Initially, microtrends may seem like harmless fun, a way for individuals to experiment with personal style. In reality, their rapid rise and fall contribute to significant issues, including overconsumption, textile waste, and environmental harm.