Apple’s iPhone 17 has improved camera quality, slimmer dimensions, and more storage – but it doesn’t really offer enough of an improvement to justify an upgrade. Yet millions of people still lined up to buy it last September.

This is just one example of overconsumption in America, in which people buy products that they don’t really need.

Social media is a huge contributor to this problem. 

It has become a trend to post hauls on social media, and creators make profit from displaying and discussing copious amounts of clothing or gadgets from various websites for their fans. 

Further, the online-only stores Shein and Temu make it possible for people to buy a lot of products at a very low cost. 

Clothing bought on these websites often gets thrown out relatively quickly because of the quality. While these companies allow people to look fashionable without spending a lot of money, too often these clothes just pile up in landfills and cause damage to the environment.

Online shopping in general contributes to overconsumption. Since people don’t have to go shopping in person anymore, and they can instead sit at a computer and shop, they often end up purchasing more than they really need.

Between 20% and 40% of beauty products, meanwhile, end up as waste each year. As soon as the next makeup trend comes out, people jump to buy the hottest new item, even though they already have cosmetics at home that are completely full. 

This is the issue with people trying to stay on trend. People feel like they have to keep buying what is popular at the moment, which is rapidly changing. Many of the products people buy do not get used for long and will get thrown away, which adds even more waste to the environment.  

Overproduced items like lipstick, eyeshadow pallets, and mascara are sometimes thrown away because they have expired or simply have not been sold. 

If people only bought what they needed, the problem of overconsumption would decrease, and there would be less pollution.