By: Cece Han
Edited by: Leo Kristal-Polci
Consumer habits are a driving force for climate change. In an age where influencers and their seemingly normal lifestyle of overconsumption is promoted, people fail to appreciate the environment, and as a result, realize the damage that is caused. Consumption contributes to carbon emissions, and overconsumption has pushed the environment to the brink with landfills overflowing with packaging waste. The excess of land pollution can create harmful chemicals that absorb into the soil as well as the groundwater, posing both contamination risks for ecosystems, and health risks to humans. This level of consumerism is quickly becoming a societal norm and is further perpetuated by influencer culture. Research shows that a staggering 74 percent of consumers bought a product because it was recommended to them by an influencer. The rise of overconsumption and its adverse environmental effects can be, in part, attributed to the normalization of influencer culture.
In recent years, the influencer marketing industry has grown rapidly. The influencer marketing industry doubled in value from 2019 to be worth $21.1 billion in 2023. In fact, influencer marketing has become so effective that many companies have chosen to scale back their budgets for advertisement and media, and rely solely on brand collaborations with influencers to boost their sales. Oftentimes, influencers have a pre-established bond of trust and level of authenticity with their followers, and as a result, followers are more likely to consume the media and advertisements which their influencer may promote. This is beneficial for companies, considering influencer marketing is a major factor in persuading consumers to purchase products, however, it creates significant environmental harm in the process.
Consumers are no longer consuming out of necessity. After basic needs are met, individuals are consuming material goods to promote their social status. As people attempt to acquire more in order to improve their status, more expensive products will need to be produced. Producing such items generates greenhouse gas emissions, but as long as there is demand from consumers, companies will mirror those demands, even at the cost of the environment. Consumerism is not only driven by the desire to identify oneself as a part of a wealthier status, but also by the belief that material goods will bring happiness into one’s life. This is an essential concept that both shapes contemporary societies and influences lifestyle choices. Influencers are not just selling a product, they are simultaneously selling a lifestyle. This is the effectiveness of influencer marketing.
Overconsumption far exceeds the necessities that any one person should account for. This has led to large-scale overproduction of material goods in order to keep up with consumer demand, and the subsequent ecological effects have been devastating. The fast fashion industry has resulted in an increased amount of textile waste piling up in landfills and contributing to around 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions every year. The obsession to upgrade to the latest phone or electronic device only furthers the environmental harm, particularly through the discardment of batteries from old devices. These batteries, which are often made from dangerous materials such as lead, end up in landfills where their exposure to waste workers can be life-threatening. In 2022, around 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally, and only around 20% of it was properly disposed of. The rest ends up in landfills and continues to pose a risk not just to the environment, but to human health as well.
Influencers promote a lifestyle of overconsumption which has increasingly become the societal norm. The power of their platforms contributes to the accumulation of material goods such as makeup, skincare products, fragrances, and clothes that far exceed the necessary means of any individual. Influencer marketing inspires consumers to feel that they are missing out on the latest product and that consuming more will result in happiness. Overconsumption contributes greatly to the release of greenhouse gas emissions, landfills, and pollution, and it is no longer sustainable to promote the normalcy of overconsumption. The increased normalcy of such consumer practices contributes greatly to the climate crisis and is fundamentally inseparable from the rise of influencer advertising.
Image Citation: The Searcher. (2007). Buy More Stuff [Photograph]. Flickr.com. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bar-art/2060565513.
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