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The latest internet micro trend sees young people celebrating a life of minimalist spending habits. But is this a sign of progress, or proof of overconsumption’s preeminence?
Should being frugal be a trend? Well, according to social media, it kind of is.
The rapid trend cycle that has come to define the last decade has seen everything from ‘blokette-core’ to ‘brat-core’ dominating our cultural zeitgeist. But the latest obsession amongst young people on the internet has less to do with aesthetics and more to do with… a lack of them.
‘Underconsumption core’ is, like the many trends that came before it, a reaction to other social media microcosms. But it’s also a kind of rebellion against other popular movements like ‘clutter core’ and the rise of fast fashion more generally.
When you think about it, social media has long been a place for broadcasting one’s ‘stuff’. ‘What’s in my bag’ videos, ‘get ready with me’ clips, house tours, makeup tutorials, and food vlogs are all a chance to flaunt our means, documenting at every turn the multitude of ways we consume – and over consume – in any given day.
‘Underconsumption core’, then, feels quite guerilla in its rejection of the tropes we’ve come to associate with being online. In its most basic state, the trend sees people rejecting overconsumption by documenting their minimalist spending habits.
From wearing the same pair of trainers everyday for 2 years, to using a handful of makeup products instead of a whole cabinet, ‘underconsumption core’ is pushing the message that you only need what you already have.
In this sense, some have suggested that the trend isn’t so much an online craze as it is a way of life. This isn’t just about budgeting and frugality, says Lily Brown, but a ‘powerful statement’ against the relentless consumerism pushed by capitalist culture.
It’s also about sustainability, and making small everyday changes that ensure our daily lives are more practical and impactful.
As the trend catches on, social media users – predominantly on TikTok – are sharing their minimalist wardrobe changes, DIY upcycling projects, and second-hand hauls.
Others are simply highlighting the ways ‘underconsumption’ has always shaped their everyday lives, from a tiny roster of clothes to almost-empty skincare bottles.
But it’s not all hand-knitted jumpers and upcycled furniture. The trend is also garnering backlash from those who view ‘underconsumption’ not as a bold, countercultural statement, but rather as a bare-minimum representation of what life is like for most people.
Beneath videos of minimalists routinely going through their homes to declutter and recycle, handfuls of comments are calling out the behaviour as ‘normal’, not vanguard.
Others, like Polyester’s Ione Gamble, have suggested that ‘underconsumption core’ is just a way of rebranding poverty as fashionable.
