Viral Trend Culture: How Social Media Fuels Obsessive Consumerism
In the age of social media, trend culture has taken on a whole new momentum. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube do more than just let us scroll—they serve as accelerators of style, product, and behavior trends that are quickly commoditized, purchased, and moved on from. What we might call “trend culture” is now deeply wedded to consumerism: the idea that keeping up with the latest style or product is part of keeping up socially.
1. What is “Trend Culture” on Social Media?
Trend culture refers to the way social media elevates certain styles, aesthetics, products, or behaviors—often rapidly and sometimes fleetingly—such that they become visible, desirable, and widely imitated. In fashion or beauty alone, there is the notion of a “micro-trend”: a specific item or look that takes over algorithms for a short period, creates pressure to acquire it, and then vanishes. One study of student writing at a U.S. school describes micro-trends on TikTok in beauty and fashion as “articles of clothing, makeup, or style that take over algorithms … making teens think they need it, and then vanish only so that we move on to the next.”
Examples of 2025 Trends
1. Ralph Lauren Christmas is a great example of seasonal trends that prey on consumers’ feelings of nostalgia. This trend effectively rebrands a traditional Christmas aesthetic as something new, classy, and exciting.
2. Coquette Aesthetic was popularized in 2024 and is a female-oriented aesthetic blending romantic, playful, and nostalgic elements— pastel colors, bows, lace, ribbons, and delicate detailing. It’s a modern take on feminine styling, but it can feel inauthentic and trendy, rather than reflect the consumer’s style.
3. Mob Wife Aesthetic is another trendy 2024 style, whereby many women shifted to a bold, glamorous, maximalist aesthetic that’s replaced (or reacted against) the previous “clean girl/quiet luxury” styles. Think faux-fur coats, leopard print, big hair, gold jewellery, red lips — drawing from vintage mafia-inspired glamor.
But trend culture is not purely about style—it’s about how these visible patterns interplay with consumerism. Social media doesn’t just reflect what’s cool, it magnifies it, commodifies it, and often monetises it.
2. How Social Media Drives Consumerism via Trends
The connection between social media and consumerism is well-documented: platforms become not just places to connect, but marketplaces, showrooms, and social proof engines. A blog on overconsumption notes that social media “reinforces consumer culture and significantly drives over-consumption, where individuals purchase and acquire products excessively beyond their needs.”
Additionally, as one opinion piece argues, social media has evolved from being connection-based to being marketplace-centric—where features like seamless shopping, influencer endorsements, and trending product tags normalise materialism. For example, it states: “The relentless push for consumerism, amplified by these platforms … has led to a culture where materialism is not only normalized but celebrated.”
When a trend goes viral—say a particular sneaker, tote bag, or beauty product—its visibility on feeds becomes a signal: “If they have it, I want it.” That is social proof in motion, and it drives purchase intent. Influencers amplify this further, often showcasing a new style or product and thereby creating both demand and urgency.
3. The Mechanics of Trend & Purchase
Let’s break down how trend culture and consumerism play out in a few interconnected steps:
- Visibility & algorithmic boost: A look or product surfaces on social media, perhaps through influencer posts, user-generated content (UGC), or hashtag amplification. This is supported by research on how trends form and spread on social media.
- Desirability through social proof: When peers or aspirational influencers have or show off something, the rest feel a kind of pressure or invitation to participate. The aforementioned overconsumption blog points to FOMO (fear of missing out) and social proof as key psychological drivers.
- Seamless purchase path: Unlike traditional trends, social media often bridges directly to shopping: tags, links, “swipe-up” features, and then checkout. The consumer doesn’t just see it—they can buy it. This reduces friction.
- Short lifecycle, next-trend pressure: Because trends move so fast now (thanks partly to algorithmic feeding and hunger for novelty), there’s a pressure to purchase quickly before it’s “old.” This is described in the micro-trend piece: “take over algorithms … vanish only so that we move on to the next.”
- Accumulation and material signal: To some extent, owning the trending product becomes a signal of cultural currency—“I was here” or “I’m part of the scene.” That drives more consumption.
4. The Implications: Style, Identity, and Cost
Style & Identity
Trend culture influences identity formation. For younger audiences especially, acquiring the latest style can feel like identity signalling (“I belong,” “I’m current”). But identity built around consumption has downsides: it can become unstable (what happens when the trend moves on?), and it can build feelings of inadequacy or constant chasing.
Cost, both financial and psychological
Trend-driven consumption can hit wallets hard—buying more frequently, buying newer. But beyond financial cost, there is a psychological toll: the pressure to perform popularity or cultural awareness via consumption. Studies show social media exposure to material-oriented posts correlates with increased dissatisfaction, higher impulsivity in purchasing, and risk of overconsumption.
Environmental & sustainability consequences
It’s not just personal cost—there’s a broader impact. The Overconsumption.org blog indicates that excessive acquisitions driven via social media have “insidious implications for the economy, environment, and personal well-being.” The fashion industry in particular suffers from trend cycles that shorten the lifespan of items, increase waste, and amplify production and disposal issues.
5. Brands, Trend Culture, and the Marketing Machine
Brands are acutely aware of this trend culture. They work to capture micro-moments, collaborate with influencers, orchestrate drops, and leverage scarcity and novelty to spark demand. The connection between platforms, algorithms, and commerce becomes a key battleground.
According to a recent blog, social media “isn’t just about likes … it’s where real purchase decisions are being made now.” In other words, what used to be a fashion magazine’s role is now the “scroll feed’s” role—and brands have to pivot accordingly.
For marketers, this means: tapping trending aesthetics, creating share-worthy content, enabling frictionless commerce—and ideally, doing so before the trend fades. But there’s also a risk: if you push too hard on novelty, you may alienate consumers who are starting to react against constant consumption.
6. Emerging Responses: Pushback Against Trend-Driven Consumerism
While trend culture remains dominant, there are emerging counter-trends and reactions worth noting. Some social media users are embracing the idea of buying less, emphasizing mindful consumption, minimalism, or sustainability. For example, a report on social media trends highlights that many consumers are now turning to platforms to keep up with culture but also to critique it.
Such responses include:
- #De-influencing: Social media influencers or users who critique the products and trends, advising “don’t buy this” rather than “buy this.”
- Minimalism or “under-consumption-core”: Users sharing content around pared-down wardrobes, thrift finds, or rejecting trend pressure.
- Sustainable fashion movements: Choosing quality over quantity; older or second-hand rather than new; resisting the micro-trend churn.
These responses don’t yet dominate, but they indicate a more nuanced dialogue is emerging: consumption via trend culture is not simply taken for granted—it’s being questioned.
7. What This Means for Consumers and Creators
For consumers, awareness is the first step: recognising when a “trend” is pushing you to buy not because you need, but because you feel you should. Slowing down, asking “Will I still care about this in six months?” or “Is this trend signalling something I value, or just signalling to others?” can help.
For creators and influencers, the pressure is two-fold: constantly chasing new looks/products to stay relevant, and balancing authenticity with monetisation. As audiences become more savvy, inauthentic or overly commercial trend pushes may backfire.
For brands, the imperative is to harness trend culture but also to respect longevity, authenticity, and (increasingly) sustainability. Brands that lean too heavily on the novelty-cycle risk being part of the waste-problem rather than the solution.
Final Thoughts
Trend culture on social media is powerful—and in many ways, inevitable. The flip side of this power is the acceleration of consumerism: faster cycles of want, buy, discard. While trends can connect us socially and aesthetically, they can also pressure us financially, morally, and environmentally.
At the heart of it, the question becomes: Are we using trend culture, or is trend culture using us? If we’re conscious, purchasing with awareness, questioning the urgency, factoring in value and longevity, then maybe trend culture can serve us rather than drive us.
As social media platforms evolve, as algorithms shift, and consumers become more sophisticated, the interplay of trend + consumerism will continue to evolve. For brands, creators, and individuals alike, the opportunity is to participate thoughtfully: enjoying style and novelty, without becoming trapped by it.
