How social media is changing the game for students’ sustainable shopping habits
Whether it’s hunting for trendy clothes, exploring the latest tech releases, or discovering unique items that capture their interests, social media has a big impact on students’ shopping habits. In fact, one study found that 85% of Gen Z are influenced to buy from what they see online.
Recognizing this influence, well-known brands, like Shein and Tarte have leveraged online advertisements, influencer marketing, and brand trips to their advantage. Recently a group of young TikTok influencers visited Shein in Guangzhou, China on an all-expense paid trip to tour some of the company’s manufacturing facilities. The trip received online backlash due to Shein’s unethical work conditions as a fast-fashion company, sparking conversations about the role of influencers and their collaboration with brands.
Not only do students face the pressure to purchase things they see on popular social media platforms, especially from their favorite influencers, but social media platforms also help students create important conversations about how their shopping habits influence more than just themselves.
So, what is Shein and fast fashion, and why is it an important topic among students? And how can educators empower students as they navigate online shopping in a way that aligns with their core values? Keep reading to dive deeper into these popular questions.
What is Shein and how is it fast fashion?
The popular clothing brand has quickly become the world’s biggest player in fast fashion. It rapidly produces cheap and trendy clothing that frequently ends up in a TikToker’s #sheinhaul— a video of an influencer showing off everything they purchased from Shein.
- What is Shein? Shein is a Chinese fast fashion retail company that rose in popularity all over social media during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company is controversial for both its alleged unethical labor practices and contribution to climate pollution.
- Labor practices: In the documentary Untold: Inside the Shein Machine, filmmakers found that Shein employees often work seven days a week, 18 hours a day, and are paid as little as $20 a day in addition to being fined up to two-thirds of their daily wages for making mistakes.
- Climate pollution: Reports say that Shein’s production of high-volume garments contributes to overcrowded landfills and 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. There is also evidence that some of the brands’ inexpensive clothing “had elevated levels of chemicals—including lead, PFAS, and phthalates—that experts found concerning.”
Recently, Shein sponsored an influencer trip with the intention of debunking the claims of labor malpractices and its impact on the climate surrounding the brand, including the alleged placement of “help” messages by employees within the clothes tags.
On the trip, the influencers posted footage of the experience and claimed to see clean factories, and smiling, happy workers. This caused a lot of backlash from students on TikTok because of the unethical realities of the fast fashion company, leading one influencer, Dani DMC, to end a newly signed deal with Shein saying “I made a huge mistake. I always try to lead with me, my younger self, and my community in mind, and I let us down. I did us wrong.”
Sensible student shopping
Shein’s rise in popularity and its rapid growth as a brand can be attributed mainly to social media and the users who share their #sheinhauls. The exposure students receive through these different posts puts them under pressure to make purchases based on what they see online. In fact, a Deloitte survey found that 51% of students say that social media makes them want to buy things they know they can’t afford. And students often regret impulsively buying something they found while scrolling through social media.
Now, many students are advocating for change when it comes to sustainable fashion. Forbes found that 62% of Gen Z prefer to buy from sustainable brands, and many are taking to TikTok to post about the change they are looking for when it comes to online shopping.
By using their mics for good online, students are spreading awareness and driving conversations around the change they hope to see in the fashion world. Some teens on TikTok are already using their platforms to encourage sustainable shopping trends:
- Sustainability: Mallory, @mallory.sub, shares posts of her thrifted outfits of the day
- Fashion tips: The TikTok account @teenbossbabes is on a mission to help teens build a community of strong leaders while posting tips for teens on fashion, lifestyle, and more
- Shopping habits: Delilah, @delilah_isabel, shares different ways to form wallet and planet-friendly shopping habits online
TSI’s Take
As educators and school leaders, we can empower our students to make informed and thoughtful decisions regarding the brands they choose to support and how they engage with the world of shopping and social media. This skill set encourages students to make deliberate choices beyond retail and contribute to shaping a more ethical and sustainable society.
Empower your students to navigate social media and their online shopping habits positively in our Use Your Mic For Good Curriculum Lesson, Considering how the brands we support impact the world. In the lesson, students will:
- Take a closer look at the brands students support daily and their social impact.
- Debate and discuss how companies are weighing in on social issues.
- Examine the difference between purpose-driven brands and purpose marketing.
Not a partner but interested in running this lesson with your students? All of our #WinAtSocial Curriculum lessons are developmentally appropriate for each grade level to ensure they will grow with your students! For more information or to request a demo of any of these lessons, click here.
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