Mindful Shopping in a World of Social Media Trends
By Taleen Keuroghlian | April 3, 2021
One of the greatest philosophers of our time once declared, “I’m gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket.” This famous adage certainly resonates amongst the brave Instagram and TikTok influencers who lay their lives on the line to drive our culture forward, or rather, backwards. Millennium throwback chic is all the rage right now in the youth fashion world. With the rise of “Y2K” fashion trends, social media influencers have been quick to not only clean out thrift stores, but to promote thrift shopping to their fans. This may not seem like an issue at first glance, however, one only needs to take a look at the socio-economic class of these influencers and their fans to understand where the problem lies.
Thrift stores mainly exist to serve lower-income families and individuals who need options for inexpensive clothing and goods. These Gen Z fashionistas, however, usually come from wealthier backgrounds. Lower income persons who rely on these types of stores for their low prices suddenly find the shelves unstocked after they have been raided by people with means.
As many of my fellow millennials and Gen Z-ers can attest, TikTok and Instagram are trendsetting behemoths; it only takes a few social media influencers to try something before thousands of people are following in their lead. I will admit, I have fallen prey to influencers…influence…before, but thrift shopping was never a trend I could get behind.
Thrift store prices are undoubtedly low and have been drawing people in regardless of their financial status for years, but this has also been drawing in gentrification. I understand saving money is exciting, but there are plenty of other ways to do so without affecting an entire community of people. Low-income communities once found solace in the knowledge that their material needs could be met at their local Goodwill. Unfortunately, that is not really the case anymore.
Due to the increase in thrift culture, and the inevitable increase in profits these stores raked in, places like Goodwill raised their prices, making them even less accessible to low-income communities. The issue has only been made worse in the past two years because most individuals living in affluent areas are unaware
of their impact on less fortunate communities. They are simply following the latest TikTok trends. That being said, influencers are labeled as such for a reason: their influence. If influencers can easily start trends, they could just as easily end one. If even a few influencers start making the mindful choice to shop
retail or at second-hand consignment shops (like Buffalo Exchange and Wasteland), they could have the power to steer so many people away from thrift shops.
It is my hope that influencers can see the impact they have on the gentrification of thrifting, attempt to educate on the subject using their platforms, and hopefully put an end to this toxic trend and help create a more economically sustainable society for all.
Mini Bio: Taleen Keuroghlian is in her last semester at California State University, Northridge and she is studying Journalism with a PR emphasis. She plans to pursue freelance Journalism after graduation in May 2021.