– By Prachita Kanjolia

Introduction

Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that primarily characterises industrialised societies. It is defined by the continual acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In modern consumer societies, the processes of purchasing and consuming products have transcended the mere fulfilment of basic human needs, evolving into activities that are not only economic but also cultural, social, and integral to personal identity formation. Despite its prevalence, consumerism has faced criticism from advocates of alternative approaches to economic participation, such as simple living or slow living, as well as from environmentalists concerned about its ecological impacts.

In recent years, particularly between 2020 and 2025, social media usage has proliferated, with user engagement becoming a normative behaviour among various demographics. This surge in social media interaction has significantly contributed to the popularisation of consumerist culture. The accessibility of online browsing platforms and personalised advertisements perpetuates the notion of an insatiable need for goods, influencing consumer behaviour in profound ways.

The Role of Social Media Platforms: How are you getting targeted?

The rise of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok has been instrumental in shaping contemporary consumerist tendencies. These applications utilise sophisticated algorithms to deliver personalised advertisements, thereby providing users with direct access to product information. This immediacy facilitates interaction with brands and other consumers, allowing for a seamless purchasing experience that often occurs without the necessity of navigating away from the app. The mere click of a button, aided by the option to save payment information, has made transactions easier and a bit too convenient, significantly reducing the friction traditionally associated with shopping.

In 2024, leading technology firms, including Google, Meta, and ByteDance, captured 54% of the global advertising market, largely due to creator-generated content that rivals traditional media. These platforms utilise hyper-personalised advertising strategies, leveraging extensive behavioural data analytics. TikTok’s Dynamic Showcase Ads, for example, customise product recommendations in real-time based on user interactions, thus converting passive consumption into active purchasing behaviour.

The Influence of Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers have emerged as pivotal figures in the promotion of consumerist culture. With the ability to reach vast audiences, influencers are often compensated by companies to endorse products

through various means, including sponsored posts, reviews, and unboxing videos. Although such content is required to be labelled as advertising, the perceived authenticity of influencers can blur the lines between genuine recommendations and commercial promotion. Recent studies found that 49% to 74% of consumers have bought a product because an influencer recommended it, which showcases how much of an impact an influencer has on the audience.

This dynamic fosters a culture of impulse buying, particularly among followers who may feel compelled to purchase products that are showcased, especially when promotional offers such as discounts are presented. Influencers create an aspirational narrative around products, engendering a sense of exclusivity and desirability that can lead to increased consumer spending. Consequently, this phenomenon contributes significantly to the normalisation of materialism within society.

Psychological Implications

The psychological mechanisms employed by social media platforms further exacerbate consumerist tendencies. The phenomenon of Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is prevalent among users, as curated content often presents an idealised version of life that suggests certain products or experiences are essential for happiness and social acceptance. This FOMO can catalyse impulsive purchasing decisions, compelling individuals to acquire items that may not align with their personal needs or financial realities.

Additionally, the addictive nature of social media platforms is worth noting. By employing algorithms designed to maximise user engagement, platforms trigger dopamine releases in the brain, creating a reward-like sensation when users interact with content. This cycle of engagement not only increases exposure to consumerist messages but also fosters a dependency that can lead to further consumption.

The Fast Fashion Phenomenon

Fast fashion exemplifies the detrimental impact of social media on consumer behaviour, thriving on the desire for novelty and immediacy. The aggressive marketing strategies employed by fast fashion brands, coupled with their low pricing structures, facilitate the rapid acquisition and disposal of clothing items, often with little regard for sustainability or ethical considerations. Social media serves as a breeding ground for fast fashion trends, with microtrends being disseminated and consumed at an unprecedented rate, thereby perpetuating a culture of disposability and excess.

Engagement: Does Gender & Age Play a Role?

Social media significantly impacts consumer behaviour, especially among Generation Z and Millennials, influencing their purchasing decisions through trends and influencer marketing. Women are more likely than men to discover products via social media, though both genders increasingly use these channels for shopping. This highlights the complex relationship between demographics and consumer behaviour in social media.

Statistics claim that 50% of users have bought something after TikTok LIVE, 57% seek out purchase info on products seen in TikTok videos, 49% have bought goods/services after seeing them discussed on TikTok, 81% of users research products via Instagram out of which 50% purchase after seeing, while 79% say UGC strongly influences their buying decisions as brands using UGC see 28% more engagement.

Between 2020 and 2025, consumer behaviour across social platforms has revealed not just what people buy, but how and why they buy it. TikTok leads the way with impulsive, content-driven purchases, especially among 18–34-year-olds, where 49% admit to buying something after seeing it on their feed, perhaps a trend largely driven by quick, emotionally deep content. Instagram, also popular among Gen Z and millennials, sees 44% of users shopping weekly, with over 130 million engaging with its shopping features monthly. Facebook, still dominant among users aged 35–65+, leans into trust-based buying through peer recommendations and discovery rather than impulse. Pinterest stands out for its high purchase intent, particularly among women (76%), driven by visually curated, aspiration-led shopping. Meanwhile, Snapchat targets the 18–29 demographic with AR tools shaping beauty and fashion trends. Across platforms, the act of shopping has become embedded into the scroll, not a separate decision, but an emotional, aesthetic, and algorithmically influenced response.

The Business Side

TikTok Shop has transformed digital retail, achieving a Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) of US$33.2 billion in 2024, surpassing its US$20 billion target, with over US$9 billion generated from the U.S. alone. The platform’s live shopping feature effectively converts 50% of viewers into buyers, with live commerce revenue reaching nearly US$919 million in 2023 and projected to triple by 2031.

The influencer affiliate marketing sector is thriving, with platforms like TikTok rewarding creators with direct sales commissions. For instance, SHEIN generated US$964 million through TikTok Shop in 2024. The return on investment for advertisers is a $2.60 ad spend yielding $88.94 in revenue, representing a 34-fold return.

More than 100,000 creators have monetised through TikTok Shop’s affiliate program, with top affiliates earning over $10,000 monthly, peaking at $15,000 weekly during holidays.

TikTok has established a vibrant virtual economy, where users purchase “coins” that convert into virtual gifts for creators during live streams, generating over US$6 billion in in-app purchases in 2024.

TikTok’s revenue structure comprises diverse streams: advertisements account for 60–70% of revenue, e- commerce via TikTok Shop contributes 15–20%, and virtual gifts/coins make up 10–15%. This diversified model allows TikTok to monetise both content virality and user transactions effectively.

Why It Works: User Behaviour & Platform Design

TikTok’s success is rooted in its understanding of user behaviour and platform design. Approximately 74% of users discover products via TikTok, while 67% make purchases based on creator recommendations. The platform’s seamless scroll-to-shop functionality facilitates impulse buying. Social commerce is projected to reach US$2.9 trillion by 2026, with live commerce expected to drive 20% of this figure. Micro- and nano-influencers, achieving around 10% engagement rates, outperform celebrity endorsements in driving conversions. Instagram’s ad revenues stood at $28.1 billion in 2020, followed by a further increase to approximately $59.6 billion in 2024, which represented a 17.9% growth compared to 2023. Instagram’s US ad revenue is projected to reach $37.13 billion, a 15.9% increase year-over-year.

This overall growth of approximately 2.5 times in five years can largely be attributed to the introduction of shopping features, such as Reels and affiliate tools, highlighting the importance of enhanced shopping functionalities in attracting advertisers. Users prefer user-generated content (UGC) over traditional ads, with 78% of Millennials and 70% of Generation Z relying on peer content before purchasing. UGC is estimated to be 85% more effective than polished brand campaigns in driving sales, highlighting the evolving consumer engagement dynamics.

Voices From Your Feed

Disguised as humour, influencers have adopted a unique method of product promotion by frequently expressing how they are “obsessed with it”, “can’t get enough of it”, and how they might buy 20 more of them. Modern consumer culture, where every day is Black Friday and the only thing more inflated than our shopping carts is our credit card debt.

Promotion of products has now been rebranded under the catchy term “haul”, a shopping term used to show off a product in mass quantity online. TikTok’s latest sensation is the rise of the “consumerism final boss” phenomenon, implying a destination of peak consumerism. This trend is akin to a cult initiation where influencers flaunt their extravagant purchases, in a spirited competition to overshadow the previous viral shopping hauls, PR packages, and unboxing escapades, which fuels the idea that financial well-being is a side quest compared to the main mission of owning the latest trending products.

Users joke, but often truthfully, about their emotional attachment to purchases inspired by a single video: “Not me buying a fifth lip gloss I don’t need because a girl in a robe said it gives ‘main character vibes’.” The phrase “TikTok made me buy it” isn’t just a meme; it’s a digital-age admission of how desire is no longer self-generated but algorithmically installed. Purchases are framed as self-care rituals or identity statements, with posts like “I love romanticising my strawberry matcha, it’s so Pinterest IT girl core.” Emotional spending is now dressed in aesthetics, with users admitting, “I buy things to feel something.

Capitalism wins again.” Even the irony is marketable: “Hot girls have impulse control issues and a saved card on file.” There’s a collective awareness and exhaustion about the endless cycle of buying to belong, seen in laments like “We’re all just trying to fix our lives one overpriced candle at a time”, what the young audience calls retail therapy. In this landscape, the line between content and commerce blurs entirely as shopping is no longer private; it’s a shared, performative habit reinforced by your feed.

Conclusion

In a world where trends evolve faster than we can scroll, distinguishing between wants and needs becomes challenging, especially when products are presented as ‘must-haves’ on our feeds.

In our pursuit of self-expression, we often overlook the consequences of overconsumption. Instead of curating our lives to reflect our identity, we risk subtly selling them out for the sake of aesthetics.

The feed never stops, and our For You Page is essentially for sale.

Therefore, the next time you click ‘Add to Cart’, pause to question yourself whether you require the product or are merely being seduced by the algorithm.