Influencer ads promote overconsumption – The Berkeley High Jacket

Report on Influencer-Driven Overconsumption and its Conflict with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

An analysis of current social media trends reveals a significant rise in influencer-generated content that promotes overconsumption, particularly among adolescent audiences. This marketing strategy normalizes excessive purchasing and financially irresponsible behavior, creating a direct conflict with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report examines the mechanisms of this trend and its specific implications for SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Analysis of Consumption Patterns and SDG 12

The Normalization of Unsustainable Consumption

Influencer marketing frequently relies on the display of a wealthy and product-rich lifestyle, which necessitates constant acquisition to maintain audience engagement. This practice is fundamentally at odds with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. The content creates a narrative where high-volume purchasing is standard and desirable.

• Brand partnerships with companies like Sephora and Ulta result in a continuous flow of products to influencers, which are then featured in content that models excessive accumulation.
• This marketing tactic directly encourages consumption patterns that are resource-intensive and unsustainable, undermining the core principles of SDG 12.
• The promotion of “hauls” and frequent new purchases encourages a disposable culture rather than one of conscious and responsible consumption.

Impact on Adolescent Audiences

Vulnerability and Well-being (SDG 3 & SDG 4)

Adolescents are the primary audience for this content and are uniquely susceptible to its messaging. This raises concerns related to their well-being and educational development, impacting progress toward multiple SDGs.

1. Psychological Impact (SDG 3): The content often correlates material acquisition with happiness and social status. This creates a problematic narrative that can negatively affect the mental health and well-being of young viewers, which is a key target of SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. The pressure to conform to trends and consumption patterns seen online can be overwhelming.
2. Educational Deficits (SDG 4): The promotion of thoughtless purchasing counteracts the principles of financial literacy, a crucial component of SDG 4: Quality Education. Research indicates that adolescents have not fully developed the critical thinking skills required to resist sophisticated marketing campaigns, making them vulnerable to content that promotes financially irresponsible decisions.

The Societal Narrative

The curated facade of wealth presented by influencers establishes a societal obsession with consumption that is both financially and environmentally unsustainable. As stated by one student, Viola Ortiz Glickman, “It’s quite hard for teens to ignore trends they see online.” This highlights the power of influencer marketing to shape societal norms away from sustainability.

Conclusion: A Call for Responsible Influence

Aligning Digital Content with Global Goals

While the platform of social media influencing can be used for positive societal contributions, its current trajectory in promoting overconsumption presents a significant challenge to sustainability. The normalization of constant purchasing directly undermines SDG 12 by fostering irresponsible consumption habits.

To mitigate these negative impacts, a shift in content strategy is necessary. Promoting transparency and prioritizing messages that align with sustainable lifestyles is crucial. Furthermore, enhancing media and financial literacy among young audiences, in line with SDG 4, is essential to empower them to critically assess the content they consume. A decline in the popularity of overconsumption-focused content is required to ensure that digital media contributes positively to a sustainable and equitable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The article’s central theme is the critique of “overconsumption content” promoted by social media influencers. It explicitly discusses issues like “incessant spending,” “irresponsible shopping habits,” “constant consumption and purchases,” and the promotion of an “unsustainable lifestyle,” all of which are core concerns of SDG 12.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The article highlights the particular vulnerability of teenagers to influencer marketing. It cites research that “adolescents are more susceptible to advertising because they have not fully developed the ability to think critically about and resist marketing campaigns.” It also notes that teens “are just beginning to understand financial responsibility.” This points to a gap in education regarding media literacy, financial literacy, and sustainable lifestyles, which are components of quality education.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article touches upon the theme of inequality by describing how influencers create a “false narrative of endless wealth” and promote an “unsustainable lifestyle that most viewers can’t relate to.” This curated portrayal of a luxury lifestyle, which “teen viewers who can rarely afford,” can create and amplify feelings of economic exclusion and social inequality among the young audience.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production):
   • Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature. The article directly relates to this target by arguing that overconsumption content creates a “false idea” and a “problematic narrative.” It calls for “transparency on normal lives” so that teens can “see past the curated facade,” emphasizing the need for accurate information and awareness about sustainable lifestyles.
   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The article’s focus on the “amassing of products” and “countless purchases” necessary to maintain an influencer’s image directly implies a high level of waste generation. By criticizing “incessant spending” and “thoughtless purchasing,” the article advocates for a reduction in consumption, which is a key strategy for preventing waste.
2. Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles. The article identifies a critical need for this type of education by stating that teens lack the ability to “think critically about and resist marketing campaigns.” The discussion about teens being “easily influenced or pressured into buying popular products” underscores the importance of equipping them with the skills to make economically and environmentally conscious decisions.
3. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age… or economic or other status. The article highlights how the promotion of “luxury lifestyles” to an audience that “can rarely afford” them creates a sense of economic exclusion. The “curated facade” that equates wealth with happiness can negatively impact the well-being of young people from less affluent backgrounds, working against the goal of social and economic inclusion.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicators for Target 12.8:
  • Volume and reach of overconsumption-focused content: The article states that content based on objects and products has “risen in prominence” and is at the “forefront of influencer marketing, generating lots of views and engagement.” An indicator could be the quantitative analysis of social media content to track the prevalence of posts promoting consumption versus those promoting sustainability.
  • Level of adolescent susceptibility to advertising: The article explicitly refers to “research from the National Institute of Health” that found adolescents are more susceptible to advertising. This suggests that progress could be measured through periodic studies or surveys assessing how effectively young people can identify and resist marketing tactics.
• Implied Indicator for Target 4.7:
  • Financial and media literacy rates among teenagers: The article implies a deficit in these skills by noting that teens “have not fully developed the ability to think critically” about marketing and are “just beginning to understand financial responsibility.” Measuring these literacy rates through standardized assessments or surveys would be a direct indicator of progress towards this target.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2:
  • Perceived gap between influencer lifestyles and audience reality: The article describes the influencer lifestyle as a “curated facade” that “most viewers can’t relate to.” An indicator could be derived from sociological or psychological studies measuring the impact of this content on teen well-being, social comparison, and feelings of economic inadequacy.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: berkeleyhighjacket.com