I am no stranger to feeling like I don’t own enough. Shopping FOMO is real, and I am always wanting the next aesthetic thing. However, I often find myself staring at the piles of clothes, makeup and jewelry in my room, and I wonder: am I an over-consumer?

Overconsumption plagues so many during these times when carbon footprints matter more than ever. People have become conscious of the negative impacts that trends such as fast fashion and single-use products have on not only the planet, but also on the priorities and lives of unfortunate overconsumers.

How to know if you’re overconsuming

Overconsumption is the “excessive consumption or use of something”—simple right? Well, what does excessive really entail? Is it buying five different tumblers solely because of how cute the colors are? Is it restocking your bathroom with single use products in a different color every month? Or is it simply buying new clothes rather than perfectly good second hand? 

I find that the simplest way to define overconsumption is buying an unnecessary amount of products as a result of impulse. Take, for example, school supplies. I am a total sucker for a cute notebook or some very colorful writing utensils. But when I get to the point of not even having storage room for the hundreds of pens and markers that I own, I know I need to stop buying.

The harm in overconsuming

Students are known to have poor financial literacy, and usually no long term jobs. And many have an overwhelming desire to be up to date and trendy. So many young people already find themselves saving for purely short periods of time with no goal to strive for. Curbing overconsumption will help young people identify what things they want to put their efforts towards. Being able to save for something bigger than a Labubu will be more gratifying in the end.

Furthermore, overconsuming trends kills individuality. You want to be unique. Be passionate about the things that you own, and better yet, let them have a story. It is much more interesting if you hand-make a trinket or article of clothing rather than just buying it on Shein. Also, buying things that truly speak to you makes them timeless. With how expensive clothes are these days, you want to make sure it is what I call a “forever piece” that you will wear or use long term.

It will be something you’ll use consistently, rather than until the trend dies and becomes cheugy.

It’s not just about you

The environment is the known victim of mass production. Think of single use floss picks— how many of those will never be recycled and will not decompose for thousands of years? Even with something as small as floss picks, the waste produced and the fossil fuels burned to create them will inevitably contribute to the destruction of natural resources.

But the environment is not the only victim. Due to the urgency to be ahead of the competition, companies work as quickly as possible to mass produce products. This in turn, leads to unethical working conditions for the people being pressured to make these products under a tight deadline. Not only are they overworked in dangerous areas, but they are also immensely underpaid.

The not-for-profit organization Sustain Your Style focuses on raising awareness on sustainable fashion. Sustain Your Style is also a whistleblower for workers’ rights issues, noting that “Garment workers are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. During peak season, they may work until 2 or 3 am to meet the fashion brand’s deadline. Their basic wages are so low that they cannot refuse overtime – aside from the fact that many would be fired if they refused to work overtime. In some cases, overtime is not even paid at all.”

The organization has also found that “employees usually work with no ventilation, breathing in toxic substances, inhaling fiber dust or blasted sand in unsafe buildings. Accidents, fires, injuries and disease are very frequent occurrences on textile production sites.”

Changing your habits

Knowing the impact overconsumption has on not just you, but everyone involved in the supply chain is only the first step. Taking active measures to lessen carbon footprint is the next. If you can’t decide whether or not you need to buy something, you can use the five second rule—if you pick up an object and cannot remember the last time you needed it within the first five seconds, it’s not necessary. 

Another way to ensure you’re helping the planet and your wallet when shopping is sticking to a list. I like to make a note in my phone throughout the month of things that I need or have been wanting. Then, when I go to the store, I will only buy the things I can remember. If I don’t remember the item, it’s probably not worth buying.

When buying items, it is also important to know if the things you’re spending money on are made well enough to last years and made sustainably enough so you can be around to use them. There have already been many efforts to reduce carbon emissions and waste through practices like conscious consumerism. 

To make things even easier, there are a plethora of apps that will lead you to eco-friendly products and brands to buy from. As well as tips on being more conscious about just how much you are buying. Because even items that you use every day can be overconsumed.

Whether you are battling your overconsumption by simply buying less things, learning to shop consciously or doing both, the bottom line is to make sure you are intentional instead of impulsive with what you buy. 

How have you dealt with overconsumption? Let us know in the comments!