Social media influencer Heidi Becker, who posts under @heidiunhinged, often uses longform poetry to give her take on overconsumption.
“Get ready with me to give thanks and express gratitude for all that I have before buying more to feed this endless pit of consumption in my soul. It's not my fault, it's how I was taught, and deals, deals, deals are here! And tomorrow happiness is half off. So come with me to swipe my plastic, on some plastic, put in some plastic, and get some more plastic.”
Social media influencers, big companies, and even supermarkets are constantly pushing shoppers to buy the newest product, but Becker represents a growing trend of resistance to this pressure by people turning to something called “underconsumption core.”
This trending term is a response to modern day consumerism and the constant push to have something new, which is categorized as “overconsumption core.”
“Overconsumption core” looks like having the newest colorful cup, plush toy, and trendy shoes. In contrast, “underconsumption core” promotes using what you have to its fullest potential and taking care of it.
The trend started in summer of 2024, and the concept even earlier than that, but it made a resurgence after the holidays as influencers share what they're not buying in 2026.
Professor of Finance at the University of New Mexico, Reilly White, said that this kind of back and forth is common in capitalism, but what's fueling the fire is social media.
“We have this advertising based platform that's geared towards getting people to impulsively purchase things that are now tailored so well to their demographic and taste that it's very hard to deny,” White said.
Most social media applications use data on the content you consume online to inform ads they push out to you. Companies also pay popular influencers to promote products to larger audiences. The combination of these two facts makes it nearly impossible to avoid targeted ads online.
White said that most of these ads are for products that the average consumer doesn’t even need.
“The top 10% of consumers are responsible for 50% of the consumption that happens in our country,” White said.
This means Americans in the top 10% income bracket are representing almost half of consumer trends, leaving the average American consumer struggling to keep up in a market place that isn’t designed for their budget. This specifically resonates with young folks.
There are various reasons why people are choosing to embrace "underconsumption core.”
On one side, folks are trying to save money. This is more of a practical approach to the trend. The average person in this country doesn’t make more than $50,000 a year, which in most states is barely enough for basic needs. People have less, so they’re spending less.
Then there’s a more political approach. This manifests in themes of sustainability and anti-capitalism. Some people find it is most important to consume less to reduce their carbon footprint.
While others, like influencer Isaias Hernandez, who posts under @queerbrownvegan, wants people to call out corporate giants for their part in creating an unsustainable landscape.
“Its time for the modern American consumer to get back into demanding what's right,” Hernandez said on his Instagram page.
He says the general idea behind consuming less is good, but the trending term has failed to demand systemic change from capitalism, like fair wages and environmental impact.
Professor White said these types of consumerism are responses to economic patterns.
“We over-consume when we self-soothe. We under-consume because it helps us take control over part of our life which we feel that we don’t have. And so when the future feels unstable, people either grasp at something or they retreat,” White said.
At the end of the day, yes, this is a trend – but it's also a commentary on how people want to spend their money and live their lives.
