Cancel Influencers 2026 — Part 2

The Psychology of Overconsumption (And Why We’re Finally Over It)

Overconsumption didn’t start with TikTok.
It didn’t even start with Instagram.

It started much quieter — and much earlier — when having more slowly became the same thing as being better.

Where It Really Began: When Lifestyle Became Aspirational

Before algorithms, before affiliate links, there were home and lifestyle magazines. I remember flipping through them with the women in my family. From fashion to home design, or to helpful lifestyle tips. They know we are always reaching for a better way of living.

Think Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens—glossy spreads of perfectly styled kitchens, seasonal tablescapes, coordinated pantries, and homes that looked untouched by real life. These magazines weren’t malicious; they were aspirational. But they quietly taught women that a “good” home should look pristine at all times—even while raising children in it. The message wasn’t spoken outright, but it lingered: if your house showed signs of life, you weren’t doing enough.

If your home looks like this, your life will feel like this.

And suddenly, living well wasn’t about function or comfort.
It was about curation.

Owning the right things became a shortcut to feeling put together.

Social Media Turned Wanting Into a Full-Time Job

Instagram and TikTok have taken over — and overconsumption went from aspirational to performative.

Now it wasn’t just:

• “Here’s a beautiful home”
  It became:

• “Here’s everything I bought to become this person”

Shopping hauls. Restocks. Empties. PR boxes. Micro-trends that flare up and fade in three weeks. Products presented as essentials, even when they don’t work, don’t last, or don’t fit real life. People risk losing their personalities to objects. Then what happens — is this really where mental health enters the picture? I know we’re in the midst of some kind of epidemic, because almost every woman I talk to is taking some form of medication. It happened to me too, and I want to understand the causes behind why we all feel so anxious and unsettled so often. Value has been lost and often misdirected.

And the scariest part?

We don’t even stop to ask if we like the things we’re buying.

I know I've vowed that in 2026, if something isn't a staple item for me, I won't buy it.

My daughters were so obsessed with shein hauls and that temu site that kept enticing them with their cheap clothes that I couldnt stand the way they felt coming out of the dryer. They were wasting so much money and cycling through clothes faster than Goodwill can even keep up. I absolutely put an end to that hyperfixation. Now my daughters take their time to choose items that are going to last and stay looking new after a few washes. It’s amazing how redirecting works. If I can redirect my girls, I can absolutely redirect myself and my spending habits.

Small Wins that have turned into BIG wins in the end, and I didn’t even know it then when I cut Shein off from our household.

Is It Human Nature to Always Want More?

Yes — and no.

Humans are wired for novelty. Our brains release dopamine when we anticipate something new. Not when we own it — when we expect it.

That’s why:

• Shopping feels better than having. I remember some of my hardest days just standing in bath and body works gave me such a rush of happiness, and I dont even like their product. I told my wife it made me so happy, but I wanted nothing. hmmm Maybe this was my epiphany.

• Unboxing feels better than using ( the suprise behind the box)

• Buying feels better than owning

But here’s the part no one tells you:

That dopamine drop-off is fast.

So we chase it again. And again. And again.

Not because we’re greedy — but because we’re overstimulated and underfulfilled. I’ve found that casual window shopping can feel just as satisfying, and it gives me the breathing room to decide later whether an item is truly worth it or whether I actually need it at all. We have free will, and too often we’re not exercising it; instead, we let others dictate our choices and desires. They are stealing the creative filters that we develop by independent thinking.

Why Do We Keep Buying Things That Don’t Even Work for Us?

Because marketing doesn’t sell products — it sells hope.

Hope that:

• This routine will fix our skin

• This product will make life easier

• This purchase will make us feel more like ourselves again

And when it doesn’t?
We blame ourselves — not the system.

So we buy again — something that costs more because the dupe was good, but not quite good enough, so the real thing has to be the golden ticket. We convince ourselves the upgrade is worth it, that this time the investment will finally deliver the finish, fit, or feeling the imitation nearly reached.

When “Self-Care” Became Consumption

Somewhere along the way, self-care stopped being:

• Rest

• Boundaries

• Community

• Knowledge

And became:

• Products

• Subscriptions

• Aesthetic upgrades

• Constant optimization

It’s easier to buy something than to change systems.
Easier to shop than to slow down.
Easier to consume than to question. Someone is always selling a solution.

But women are starting to question it. Community is shifting, and in the process many people are being left feeling like they aren’t enough—not because they lack values, effort, or care, but because they aren’t buying, upgrading, or keeping up with whatever is being labeled “the latest and greatest.” This isn’t a simple problem with an easy fix. There are economic pressures, social systems, and cultural expectations all tangled together. Still, the questioning matters. Awareness is often the first step toward change, and more women are choosing to step back, reassess, and redefine what enough actually looks like.

I find myself stepping back often to reevaluate where I am in life and why I can’t keep up with women who is the same age as I am but who doesn’t have children, or only has 1 child and help from their family, or the constant weight of responsibility for 3 other people. Being around those women can make you feel like you’ve accomplished nothing — not because you haven’t, but because their lives are simply built on a different set of demands. The comparison isn’t fair, yet it’s easy to internalize when the worlds don’t overlap.

Over time, I’ve learned that these moments aren’t evidence that something is wrong with me. They’re reminders that perception shapes value — and when people haven’t walked your path, they often can’t see the worth of it. I’ve felt this in many situations where I was trying to connect, only to realize we were speaking entirely different languages of life.

I still enjoy trends, but I don’t feel the need to chase all of them. I love beauty, but I read ingredient lists. I love food, but I no longer eat like a teenager discovering the kitchen for the first time. Growth has changed how I consume — not because I’m rigid, but because I’m intentional.

It can be difficult to connect with people who haven’t reached this place yet. Not better, not worse — just different stages of awareness. And that difference can feel isolating at times. But it also brings clarity. Knowing who you are, what matters to you, and why you choose differently is a quiet kind of confidence — one that doesn’t need to keep up to be valid. I find so much peace in not being relatble in those ways anymore because that means I finally gave myself value instead of others or objects.

Why Aren’t We Doing Things for the Greater Good?

Because overconsumption keeps us busy and distracted.

When we’re focused on:

• What to buy next

• What we’re missing

• What we should be doing better

We’re less likely to:

• Build community

• Share resources

• Learn skills

• Demand systemic change

Overconsumption individualizes everything.
It turns collective problems into personal shopping lists.

And people are waking up to that.

The Shift We’re Seeing Now

This is why:

• Comfort beauty is replacing full glam. I DO NOT CARE. I have found so much more value in whipping up my own face mask in the kitchen. It is in my kitchen, so my body already recognizes it.

• Low-tox homes are replacing “perfect” homes Aperfect home would be nice, but just watching my family of generations grow, I know a home full of stuff gets very lonely at an old age. I refuse to grow old and tell people my family doesn’t visit.

• Knowledge is becoming more valuable than status items. I am finding people are not reading, they aren’t writing unless it’s a social media status or a trend. Our attention spans are unwell, and unless you have the awareness and willpower, you might not even know you are suffering.

• People are choosing fewer, better things — or making their own

Women aren’t anti-beauty.
They’re anti-manipulation. Some days, I think about how bad I want lip filler or shots of Botox, and then I remember that it used to never be as accessible to us, and now everyone has it. It was only approved cosmetically in 2002. It just is not heavily studied, and that gives me enough reminder to just age as gracefully as possible. Just because everyone has it doesn’t mean I need it to even if I think it looks so cute.

Why We’re Finally Over It

Overconsumption promised fulfillment — and didn’t deliver.

What does feel good?

• Understanding labels, we have so much knowledge at our fingertips, but why aren’t we using it?

• Learning how your body works, men and women, but my biggest reminder to women, because ultimately,0 we have been told so much wrong information.

• Making something yourself

• Spending intentionally

• Teaching your kids discernment instead of desire

That’s not boring.
That’s power.

The Takeaway

Overconsumption wasn’t an accident.
It was taught, curated, optimized, and monetized.

But unlearning it?
That’s a choice.

And it starts with asking:

• Do I actually need this?

• Do I even like this?

• Who benefits if I buy this?

• What would serve me better instead?

Because wanting less isn’t settling.
It’s remembering who you are without the noise.