From Hydroflasks, to Stanleys, to Owalas. Leopard print to Camo. Celsius energy drinks to Alani´s. Trends come and go every year. Items that are in style and “popular” are bought, but once they go out of style, those items either end up in the trash or on a Goodwill shelf.
The word “overconsumption” means different things to different people. Sophomore Lilly Stabler says her definition of overconsumption is: “Buying too many unnecessary things because they´re trending or cute. These items are not necessary for your everyday life, and a lot of time can be harmful to the environment.”
Senior Roman Cooper agrees, but also believes it is part of our culture. “[It is] something our society pushes, buying a lot in excess,” Cooper said. The defined term for overconsumption is “the action or fact of consuming something to excess.” This could mean anything, whether that’s buying more clothes than you´ll wear, or having over 20 steps in your skincare routine.
Everyone consumes things; they take in something in large quantities, whether that be hours of social media scrolling at a time or getting 12 hours of sleep. Overconsumption is in everyday life. “[I see overconsumerism] a lot online, like TikTok, or Instagram,” Stabler said. “It’s people posting hauls with very unnecessary amounts.” Sophomore Urijah Schnieder says he sees it with his own mom. “She owns over 10 purses and thousands of makeup products,” Schneider said.
Some people recognize their overconsumerism, some don´t. Some people acknowledge it, but don’t care. “I try to be aware of what I´m consuming, and how that would leave a mark on the world later,” Cooper said. “I don´t throw a lot of things away because collecting things that otherwise would have been thrown away makes me feel a bit better about the things I might [purchase].”
“I would say I consume way too much screen time,” Schneider said. “I´ve been trying to cut back on the amount of time I play video games or scroll on social media.”
Too much of anything isn´t good for anyone. Some students, like Stabler, are trying to be more thoughtful about what they buy, where they buy it from, and what they do with the items they no longer want or need. “I´ve started selling my clothes,” Stabler said, and is trying to buy less clothing or thrift.”
The best thing we can do for our well-being as a community is to at least recognize how much of something we´re consuming and determine if it benefits us or not. “Trends come and go so fast, it’s just a revolving door of style and fashion,” Cooper said. “It’s hard not to feel guilty over overconsumption.”
