During her daily scheduled brain rot time, Marlene came across a TikTok of someone prepping their reusable Stanley 1913 tumbler for a walk. She then proceeded to question every life decision she’d made that led her algorithm to this.
It wasn’t the bottle itself so much as all of the other things that just had to accompany it on this walk. There were attachable holders for pills, lip balm, and keys, a special mold for ice cubes fitted for the bottle, and the equivalent of a fanny pack to hold a phone, fan, and sunglasses.
The tumblers are just one of several items that have been awarded entire sections of social media and their own sacred routines. There’s kitchen restocks, guest bathroom prepping, and 15 step hand care regimens.
But Marlene’s TikTok trauma isn’t the only thing to think about here. Jayden, a self-described body care over-consumer, argues that buyers are not all to blame. How are they to resist those limited edition releases, teased as never-to-return must-have’s?
Marlene and Jayden offer their insights on overconsumption. Why are we babying our inanimate belongings, and should we feel that bad about it?
Marlene
Now you might be thinking, “How could a reusable water bottle harm the environment?” Well, that’s a good question. For one, it’s a numbers thing. Needing a dedicated section in your house contradicts the idea of reusable and sustainable. An NBC News article assessed the life cycle for reusable products. For all of the materials, energy, transportation, etc. needed to make a product like Stanley’s, “it would likely take consistent use for years in order to make up for the impacts across the container’s entire life cycle.” Having rows of them in your house might look pretty, but will never make up for their environmental tax (unless you’re refilling it 20 times a day).
In a similar vein, one might justify all these extras if they were being used up. However, far too many videos in the overconsumption category show products being wasted for the sake of aesthetics, viral moments, or rage-bait. A video by TikTok user Emily Leah shows her packing a bottle of Classic Whip sunscreen, but not before using (what feels like) half the bottle on the back of her hand. Sure, it looks cool and emphasizes the already novel idea of merging dessert and skin care, but also wastes a product that costs almost $10 for 1.4 ounces.
But even if we set these aside, I am still stuck with a simple question, “Why?” As shown in the video by TikTok user Missy Sparks, some of these elaborate spreads and lip balm holders are for two hour car rides. What ever happened to shoving a banana, old Chapstick, and a Zofran prescription in your bag as you head out the door?
At the heart of this is the fine line between social media, parasocialism, and belonging. Camping out for Stanley’s or NeeDoh’s is not an idea born from boredom. A Fordham University paper noted how buying these hot items allow us to feel connected to a socially accepted image and community. But it’s impossible for that euphoric feeling to last, especially when trending items are temporary.
When content creators can amass millions of views and followers and generate a sizable income from little accessories, it’s hard to entirely blame them for continuing to purchase, film, and post. And if there is an audience fascinated with tiny straw toppers and different shades of beige at the tip of their fingers, why should they worry about the landfills in the distance?
Jayden
As an over-consumer who comes from a family of over-consumers, I tend to have this mindset where “If I don’t get it now, I’ll never see it again.” Not only is this with an excessive amount of reusable water bottles but also with body care, skin care products, lotions, and perfumes. But this brings in the question, is overconsuming really a bad thing if it’s something you know you will use? Don’t get me wrong I know I have a lot of Tree Hut body scrubs, but on the contrary most of them are limited edition and I know I will use them.
Honestly, as I have gotten older the overconsumption has grown from body scrubs to clothing, and from clothing to coffee syrups and it just feels like one can never have enough. My inspiration for collecting body care started with an account on TikTok called selfcarebeautyyy which showcases different shower routines. Ever since finding this account, I have always wanted to have my own shower walls filled with all of my body care. This is something that I did accomplish, as you can see in the photo of my shelf filled. But I have been approaching my overconsumption tendencies with a new personal challenge called “Project Pan 2026.” This is a term that was created where you finish an entire product no matter what it is, you “pan it” (as in finish it) and throw it away. This trend is to prevent overconsuming of these products so that you are already using what you have instead of buying more.
Unfortunately I broke the rules to that trend very soon after starting it. Something that I am looking to purchase soon is Alex Earle’s “Reale Actives” skin care products. Not only because I have watched her new show “Earle Meets World”, but because I just have this vision that all the other skin care isn’t working as well so of course I need to try something new! (While all my products that “didn’t work” collect dust on my shelf at home.)
Although having multiples of the same thing seems unnecessary, I feel as though many people look for the rush of purchasing that new limited edition Stanley, Bath and Body Works perfume, or Parke hoodie so that they can show it off and enjoy having the item. Sometimes people do not realize how many of the same item in different fonts they have until it is all together in one space.
This debate is not an easy one to solve, especially if you check the climate clock. Yes, a lot of these things are unnecessary and bad for the environment, but in small amounts, are also treats for the everyday person. If these small purchases, in moderation, spark joy, who’s to say it’s all bad?
The bottom line is, we have to consume as humans, we deserve to buy wants and needs, and we have a responsibility to care for our planet. With the holiday collections and limited editions coming up, we have to ask if this purchase is worth it, for our wallets, our environment, and ourselves.
