They want to care about climate change, but FOMO is real. Are Gen Z confused between being woke and having it all?
Pic/iStock
Two years ago, I found myself in a state of perplexity. In a political theory lecture in my second year of University, my professor introduced us to The Jargon of Authenticity by Theodor Adorno, a philosopher from the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory.
During her lecture, she argued that the so-called “authentic self” is a product sold to us by capitalist institutions. These institutions create agencies—brands, advertisements, and cultural narratives—that convince us authenticity can be bought. Adorno called this strategic use of language or “jargon,” a tool deployed in marketing, politics, and culture to project an illusion of realness, even when it is entirely performative. “If you want to be your authentic self,” she paraphrased, “buy this and achieve it.”
Pic/iStock
At the end of the lecture, she gave us an exercise: review our purchases from the last three months and divide them into two categories—necessary expenses and those driven by desire, impulse, or peer pressure. To my surprise, most of my spending, like that of my classmates, fell into the latter. Choosing to eat at a fancy café over the college mess or buying clothes on impulse rather than necessity—all small decisions, yet they reflected a larger pattern.
On one hand, I was participating in climate change rallies and writing about sustainability. On the other hand, I was actively participating in the consumer culture fuelling these very crises. Hypocritical, wasn’t it?
Headphones, Mini Bag, Water Tumbler, Laptop, Phone case and Shoes
But, like most uncomfortable thoughts, this one faded with time—until recently. On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I stumbled upon a viral video. The content creator, Vriddhi Patwan, said: “The only drawback about living in a city where people aren’t influenced by pop culture is that no one here gets that my phone case is Rhode, my shoes are Uggs, and my top is Skims... No one here gets that I’m serving every other bi*ch, but that’s the unique part.”
The video unsettled me. There was no point in hating on the content creator—after all, she was right about one thing: Internet culture. Everything she listed had, at some point, gone viral on social media, and most people I knew, including myself, had either wanted or owned them.
Content creator Vriddhi Patwan’s viral video reflects on how easily influenced Gen Z is by products that are sold on Instagram. PicInstagram@Vriddhipatwa
Why is a generation so “woke” about social and environmental issues also so easily drawn into toxic consumerism? We spoke to Gen Z consumers, and experts people who understand why this happens, to help us decode this dilemma:
‘I refuse to buy fast fashion’
Pari Patil, 20, Mass Communication graduate
Our generation has become woke because of social media,” says Pari Patil, a 20-year-old Mass Communication and Journalism graduate from St Xavier’s College. “Social media has undoubtedly given us a platform to speak up about issues and express our thoughts and opinions, while also making us aware of what’s happening around the world. But like everything else, this too is a double-edged sword.”
Pari Patil thrifts all her clothes from Instagram thrift stores
Patil, who has been freelancing in digital marketing for four years, has seen first-hand how social media influences consumer behaviour. “I know the ins and outs of social media marketing and influencer culture,” she says. “And honestly, I’m tired of this constant cycle of being influenced to buy what’s being sold to us online. I’ve seen the behind-the-scenes of brands that sell fast fashion and it’s toxic.”
The fast fashion industry—characterised by the rapid production and consumption of inexpensive, trendy clothing—has significant environmental and ethical costs, including pollution, resource depletion, and labour exploitation.
According to the Indian Textile Sector Report 2024 by Wright Research, India’s fast fashion market is currently valued at $10 billion and is projected to reach $50 billion by 2031. Meanwhile, a 2024 research paper titled Financial Implications of Fast Fashion in India: A Comprehensive Study on Profitability, Sustainability, and Consumer Behaviour by Muskan Mishra and Dr Yerragola Prakash highlights that Gen Z (18-25 years old) is the key market for fast fashion brands.
Patil has made a conscious decision to avoid fast fashion. “I refuse to buy from fast fashion brands. I thrift all my clothes from small thrift stores like Thrifting Around, Treat Yo’ Self, Poo’s Closet, and more on Instagram,” she says. “I’d love to buy from sustainable clothing brands, but as a college student on a budget, it’s just not feasible.”
Yet, even within the thrift market, Patil sees issues. “Some so-called ‘thrift’ stores just buy clothes from places like Hill Road and resell them at a higher price under the label of ‘thrifting.’ This defeats the purpose,” she explains. Despite the overwhelming influence of consumer culture, Patil says, “anyone who is aware of the impact of their overconsumption is bound to take action at some point. I did. I know my friends have. I hope more people do too.”
‘People are getting water shipped from the US’
Varun Padmanabhan, 22, content creator
Varun Padmanabhan, a final-year student at the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, is a content creator and a design and digital marketer currently building Kyte, his own marketing agency.
As a digital marketer Varun Padmanabhan is keenly aware of the impact of social media-driven consumerism
“I am, unfortunately, a victim of consumerism fuelled by social media,” he admits. “I’ve always been in circles where people are more materialistic than we need to be. But, because I work in marketing, I can recognise when something is being sold to people as a necessity when it really isn’t.”
In a recent video on Instagram, Padmanabhan discussed the rise of Ashton Hall, an American Internet personality who has gained viral attention for his extreme morning routine—one that starts at 3 am. Hall’s videos frequently feature him drinking Saratoga Water, a premium bottled water brand.
“Though it’s not really big in India yet, it’s huge in the US,” he explains. “Drinking Saratoga water has become a status symbol because of Hall. We saw this happen with the Stanley Cup tumblers, and so many other things. At some point, these products become less about functionality and more about signalling wealth—everyone wants them to show they can afford luxury.” He points out, “I know people in Bangalore and Mumbai who have had Saratoga Water shipped from the US. Just imagine the carbon footprint of shipping bottled water across the world,” he says.
“We’re also seeing this shift in the way people consume food—acai bowls, matcha, granola protein bars. No one was talking about these things a year ago, but now they’re everywhere. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing—more protein in our diets is great—but at the end of the day, it’s all influencer-driven.”
While he sees value in strategic purchasing, he draws a line. “If buying certain things helps me get into the right rooms, I will,” he says. “But that’s different from falling for every single micro-trend.”
Rs 7,900
Cost of a three-pack Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water in India
Figures like Ashton Hall, who is going viral for his intense routine; Hailey Bieber, the vision behind the viral Rhode case; and Kim Kardashian, the founder of viral clothing brand Skims, often catalyse viral social media trends. Pics/Pinterest
‘It’s all about fitting in a Pinterest box’
Mishca Dossani, 22, fashion student
“As a fashion student, I’ve learned to invest in a few staple pieces and mix and match them to create new outfits that suit me,” says Mishca Dossani, a 22-year-old second-year student majoring in Fashion Communication and Styling. “So while I may buy a shirt from Zara, I use it for five to six years easily. I don’t believe in excessive shopping—I focus on a few selected items but use them creatively.”
Mishca Dosani is learning how to use a sewing machine so that, at some point, she can stitch her own clothes
However, Dossani notes that fashion today is increasingly shaped by social media, particularly platforms like Pinterest. “Fashion has, in some ways, become about fitting into certain Pinterest boxes—specific ‘cores’ and aesthetics,” she says.
Aesthetics like “cottage-core,” which romanticises vintage countryside fashion with flowing dresses and lace, and “Y2K,” which brings back the bold colours, low-rise jeans, and crop tops of the early 2000s, have dominated online fashion trends. There’s also the “tradwife aesthetic”, “pixie-core”, “clean girl aesthetic,” “retro-lit girl core,” “brat core”, “desi core”, “corporate core” and so many more.
Recently, Dossani has been exploring up-cycling as part of her sustainable fashion journey. “I just turned an old pair of jeans into a bucket hat!” she says excitedly. “I’m also learning how to use a sewing machine so that, at some point, I can stitch my own clothes. Subsistence fashion!”
‘Overconsumption is linked to FOMO’
Dr Aparna Ramakrishnan, psychiatrist
When you see something pop up on your feed every now and then, you give in to it and think to yourself, okay ya, let’s just buy it. Social media curates your feed based on user preferences, and algorithms predict our behaviour—its basic consumer psychology” notes Dr Aparna Ramakrishnan, a consultant psychiatrist at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute.
“Overconsumption, these days, is more often than not, directly related to things such as the fear of missing out [FOMO], the anxiety surrounding it and boredom,” notes Dr Ramakrishna.
“We shop because we’re bored and scrolling through e-commerce websites like clothing apps, or apps that sell fast-moving consumer goods [FMCG] including food, groceries, or just everyday products—and eventually end up buying way more than we need. We buy certain things or go to certain places because the influencers that we see online are doing so, and hence, part of us is compelled to do the same thing everyone else is so that we are able to fit in.”
‘The Instagram lens is taking over’
Keigan Pinto, adman
Keigan Pinto, an advertising professional with 20 years in the industry, expresses concern over the growing tendency of marketers to view all forms of marketing through an “Instagram lens”.
He explains, For instance, brands like Bentley and Aston Martin—whose target audience may not be as active on Instagram—are trying very hard to conform to Instagram-driven marketing trends, posting things with hashtags like #ifyouknowyouknow. “It’s surprising. Take a brand like Sabyasachi, for example. It’s an aspirational brand. So many young women in their 20s dream of being a Sabyasachi bride. But if this brand was to start following Gen Z trends too closely, it would, to some degree, lose its aspirational value,” he says.
He notes that from a marketing perspective, not everything can become an Instagram fad, because that kind of marketing isn’t necessarily going to take a brand anywhere.
Pinto further reflects, “All generations, at least post-Industrial Revolution, have been consumerist in some way or another. The only issue here is that Gen Z is hyper-aware of social issues—even as they contribute to the very consumer culture they critique. Brands will always market their products because they need to sell them. The medium may change—like influencer marketing, which has become a powerful tool. Unlike celebrities, who were often portrayed as being on their high horses, influencers feel more relatable. The influencer is your friend, and so it works really well.”
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
