Scrolling ourselves into Environmental Decline

As of February 2025, 5.56 billion people—67.9% of the global population—were internet users. Of these, 5.24 billion (or 63.9% of world's population) were active on social media. These numbers speak volumes about the digital age we live in—and hint at the massive influence these platforms wield.

We humans have an insatiable desire for more—knowledge, power, experiences, and material possessions. Social media has supercharged this evolutionary impulse, particularly when it comes to consumerism. While it has revolutionized marketing and content creation, it’s also fueling a culture of excess that’s quietly harming our planet.

In today’s digital-first world, social media has become a mirror of our modern desires—curated, clickable, and constantly craving more. What once started as a space to connect with friends and share life’s moments has morphed into a digital marketplace of lifestyles, where every scroll tempts us with something new to buy, wear, or experience. Scroll through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube for just five minutes, and you’ll be bombarded with sleek gadgets, aesthetic home makeovers, skincare routines, and haul videos that showcase dozens of freshly delivered packages. What's more, the AI algorithm instantly picks up your search item from your internet browser and keeps on pushing tailored ads (while you are scrolling through the social media platform) with the intention that, since you had shown interest in the item, you may purchase it with the 'slight' push.

While it has undoubtedly revolutionized marketing and democratized content creation, social media has also amplified our desire to acquire and consume—and it’s quietly taking a toll on the planet.

The Lifestyle Illusion: A New Norm of Excess

Social media has redefined what “normal” looks like. Suddenly, a minimalist kitchen isn’t complete without the trending and 'must-have' spice racks and curated pantry labels. A skincare routine isn’t sufficient unless it involves loads of toners, serums, age-defying moisturizers that make your skin look glass-like and rejuvenating night creams. Home offices must be Pinterest-perfect, and wellness now comes with must-have matcha tools and luxury gym wear.

This isn’t just aspirational living—it’s marketing, disguised as everyday content.

Influencers, often funded by brand deals, present consumption as care, success, or self-worth. Their curated content glamorizes excess, making it easy to forget the environmental consequences. Most of these influencers are at times not mindful about the products they endorse or how they impact our planet or our overall well-being. And because we consume their lives in bits and pieces, we often don’t see the excess—just the filtered final result. Fast-paced content like haul videos, unboxings, and product reviews fosters impulsive buying habits—leading to a throwaway culture and disposable consumerism.

Whether it’s skincare, sneakers, or kitchen gadgets, social media has normalized impulsive buying under the banner of trends.

Fast Fashion and the #OOTD Trap

Perhaps no industry exemplifies social media-driven overconsumption more than fast fashion. Thanks to #OOTD (Outfit of the Day) culture, the pressure to constantly wear new, trendy clothes has skyrocketed. Many influencers rarely repeat outfits, indirectly encouraging their audiences to chase that same wardrobe turnover.

To meet this demand, fast fashion brands churn out cheap garments at breakneck speed. The problem? These clothes are often poor in quality, discarded quickly, and made in environmentally harmful ways. From excessive water use in cotton farming to pollution caused by synthetic dyes, the environmental footprint of a single fast fashion piece is much larger than it appears. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions—more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Furthermore, fast fashion contributes to water pollution, microplastic contamination, and textile waste, with a garbage truck's worth of clothes dumped into landfills or incinerated every second.

[You can read through the article by Greenpeace "FAST FASHION, SLOW POISON: NEW REPORT EXPOSES TOXIC IMPACT OF GLOBAL TEXTILE WASTE IN GHANA" to get an idea the scale of a problem Fast Fashion is!]

Unboxing Culture = Unseen Waste

Unboxing videos and shopping “hauls” are another social media staple. These clips are designed to trigger excitement, showcasing stacks of neatly packaged products being opened one by one. But what’s rarely shown is what happens after the video ends—the packaging waste, the returns, the items that may never actually get used.

While 'unboxing culture' is fun to watch, it is not so fun for the planet.

Unboxing videos thrive on aesthetic appeal. Brands often use multiple layers of packaging like tissue paper, foam, custom boxes, ribbons, stickers, etc., to enhance the experience. Most of these are non-recyclable or hard to recycle, single-use and produced using energy-intensive processes.

Shipping millions of online purchases, often just for the sake of content, also adds up in carbon emissions. Multiply that by the millions of users influenced by this trend, and the environmental cost becomes staggering.

The Not-So-Cool Side of #Trending Reels

Scrolling through social media today, it’s hard to miss the flood of “trending reels” — dreamy travel clips, massive shopping hauls, and aesthetic shots of untouched nature. At first glance, they seem harmless, even inspiring. But behind the carefully curated visuals lies a less glamorous truth: environmental damage that’s often ignored.

To capture those viral moments, creators frequently travel to remote or fragile ecosystems, leaving behind carbon footprints through excessive flights and vehicle use. That serene mountain lake or secret beach isn’t always left as pristine as it was found—many of these locations suffer from trampling, littering, or habitat disruption, especially when they go viral and attract crowds.

Take the most recent frenzy of "Ghiblifying" real photos using ChatGPT's image-generation tool which led to a record surge of users, thus straining the servers. Millions of users have joined in, flooding TikTok and Instagram with pastel-toned forests, Ghibli-fied pets, and anime-style portraits.

But while it feels fun, fast, addictive, and whimsical, each generated image has a very real cost: energy consumption.

Behind every AI-generated image is a data center doing heavy lifting—running deep learning models on GPUs that use a lot of electricity. And when you multiply that by thousands (or millions) of images per day, the carbon emissions start to add up.

• Per-image emissions: ~0.02–0.1g of CO₂

• Mass usage: Millions of images = tons of CO₂ globally

• Add to that: cloud storage, image sharing, and device screen time

While this might seem small at the individual level, trends like these often scale quickly, amplifying their environmental impact without most users even noticing.

It’s not just the generation of art that has an environmental cost—it’s the scrolling, sharing, and engagement. Every time we view or post AI-generated content, we’re relying on cloud servers, mobile data, and charging devices, all of which have carbon footprints.

The Psychological Trap of Perfection

At its core, overconsumption is not just about stuff—it’s about psychology. Social media creates a sense of comparison, FOMO, and inadequacy. You see someone’s perfectly organized home or flawless morning routine and feel like you’re behind. So you buy things to catch up, to feel validated or successful. But fulfillment doesn’t arrive with the package—it’s just replaced by the next desire.

This cycle is profitable for companies but exhausting for both individuals and the Earth, as this only leads to clutter, debt, and environmental harm.

Overconsumption Across Lifestyles

While fast fashion is a well-known culprit, overconsumption extends into nearly every lifestyle category:

1. Tech and Electronics

There’s a constant push to upgrade. A new phone every year, smart home gadgets that “optimize” our lives, and digital accessories that end up in drawers after a few uses. E-waste is now one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, with millions of tons discarded each year—much of it non-recyclable and toxic to the environment.

The over-purchasing of mobile phones contributes significantly to the scarcity of rare earth elements (REEs).

• Mining REEs is complex and polluting, involving toxic waste and massive energy use.

• Geopolitical tensions (especially since most REE mining is concentrated in China) can disrupt supply chains.

• Low recycling rates mean most REEs from old phones are not recovered—less than 1% globally!

2. Home Décor and DIY Trends

Thanks to interior design reels and TikTok “makeovers,” there's a surge in buying seasonal decor, cheap furniture, and decorative items that quickly go out of trend. These items are often low-quality and not built to last—leading to higher waste as consumers replace them regularly.

3. Beauty and Skincare

Influencer culture has transformed skincare from a necessity into a status symbol. Monthly “empties,” huge PR hauls, and “get ready with me” content encourage the accumulation of dozens of products, many of which get tossed before they’re finished. The beauty industry also contributes to plastic waste, with billions of product containers discarded annually.

4. Wellness and Fitness

Wellness has been rebranded through a consumer lens. Yoga isn't complete without branded mats, matching outfits, specialized bottles, supplements, and high-end gadgets. The idea of self-care has shifted from rest and balance to shopping for solutions.

5. Kitchen and Cooking Trends

Social media food culture has introduced a world of aesthetic kitchen gear, novelty cooking tools, and overly stylized meals. Viral recipes often require niche ingredients that go to waste. Constantly buying the “next big tool” for air-frying or frothing adds to both material waste and carbon emissions.

The Environmental Cost

Behind every trending product is a long supply chain. Manufacturing, shipping, and packaging all demand resources—water, energy, fossil fuels. The carbon footprint of a single “TikTok haul” can be significant when you account for global logistics and returns. Not to mention the mountains of plastic packaging, much of which ends up in oceans or landfills.

The more we normalize rapid, excessive consumption, the more we drive industries to produce at unsustainable rates. This accelerates deforestation, pollution, resource depletion, and greenhouse gas emissions—further pushing our planet toward ecological crisis.

When even Sustainability Becomes a Trend

Ironically, even eco-conscious content can encourage overconsumption. "Zero-waste hauls" or "sustainable swaps" sometimes become just another excuse to buy new stuff—even if it’s labeled as green.

Real sustainability isn’t about buying better. It’s about buying less and valuing more.

So What Can We Do?

Changing this system starts with awareness—and a willingness to pause before we click “Buy Now.”

1. Follow Mindful Creators

Support influencers who advocate for slow living, minimalism, secondhand shopping, and environmental transparency.

2. Normalize Reuse and Repetition

Wearing the same outfit multiple times, repurposing décor, or sticking with an old phone shouldn't feel “less than.” It should feel responsible.

3. Ask Better Questions Before Buying

• Do I really need this?

• Will I use it long-term?

• Can I borrow, rent, or buy it secondhand?

• What's its environmental impact?

4. Push Platforms and Brands

Social media companies can prioritize sustainable content, and brands can shift from mass production to circular models—if consumers demand it.

5. Pause before you purchase.

   Try the 48-hour rule.

Final Thoughts

Social media has the power to inspire, connect, and create. But when it fuels overconsumption, it disconnects us from the impact of our choices—on people, on communities, and on the Earth.

If we want a feed (and a future) that’s truly beautiful, it starts with conscious clicks. 🌎💚