For Gen Z, less is more

While scrolling through TikTok, Kirstie June, an English major at Metropolitan State University of Denver, was served an ad for a money-saving notebook. The video showed an influencer stashing a $20 bill into a pretty purple journal daily, promising to help June save money and meet her goals. Tempted by what was essentially a fancy piggy bank, she almost hit the purchase button but stopped, remembering her commitment to buying less online.

Gen Zers such as June have been raised on fast fashion and “aesthetics,” where even everyday items must be Instagram-worthy — a trend that peaked during the pandemic. Influencers have urged consumers to buy everything including glass decanters and accessories for their Stanley water bottles, driving up the cost of simply keeping up. But now, young people are pushing back with a movement they’ve dubbed #Underconsumptioncore.

“They’ve made it so easy to buy — I’ll watch a video and realize it’s an ad linked directly to the TikTok shop,” June said. “These products are essentially fast fashion. They’re not sustainable for the environment, and I don’t think they’re sustainable for us as consumers.”

The underconsumptioncore trend, driven by Gen Z’s rejection of overconsumption, features videos of young people rehabbing unused makeup, thrifting and fixing broken furniture — all set to vibey music. Underconsumptioncore overlaps into #quietluxury and #loudbudgeting, two other #FinTok trends that promote buying less.

“It’s an anti-influencer influencer movement,” said Alexandre Padilla, professor and chair of the Economics Department at MSU Denver. “Similar to the hippie, tiny-home, van-life and shop-local movements, this trend is a reaction to mainstream priorities that may have been misplaced. It implies that young people are wondering if their consumption choices have undesirable consequences on their mental health, physical health and the environment.”

RELATED: 6 steps to tackle credit-card debt

For many young people, underconsumption isn’t just a passing trend — it’s a necessary way of life. Grappling with low wages and soaring housing costs, Gen Z faces intense financial stress. Gen Zers’ biggest source of anxiety is the struggle to cover standard monthly expenses, according to a recent study by The Motley Fool Ascent.

Padilla questions the motives of underconsumption influencers, noting that for many people, living minimally is driven more by necessity than by choice and is nothing new. “It’s easy to say money doesn’t buy happiness — when you already have money,” he said. “People who live paycheck to paycheck or who grew up watching their parents work multiple jobs just to put food on the table naturally tend to be more economical with their resources. They don’t need a trend to tell them how to do that.”

For college students such as MSU Denver Journalism major Isabel Guzman, the temptation to spend is always there, but financial reality usually wins out. “I constantly have to ask myself if I really need something or if it’s just a want,” she said. “As a college student working on campus, my income doesn’t support the lifestyle I’d like to have. This is a tough realization for many students at MSU Denver and across the country — do I buy this item for short-term satisfaction or do I save the money for essentials like gas, food, rent, insurance and tuition?”

While conscious consumerism isn’t new, underconsumptioncore is uniquely Gen Z. This generation helped reshape retail, is deeply concerned about climate change, struggles to save money and turns social issues into online content. By announcing their spending-habit changes online, they are forcing brands to take notice.

Guzman connects the trend to the unique pressures her generation faces. “We care about our planet and want to make it a better place for our children to grow up. And at the same time, the desire to ‘fit in’ and own what everyone else wants has a chokehold on society,” she said. “Underconsumptioncore is also social commentary on how corporations will find a way to make you want more and spend more money.”