In today’s fast-paced world, trends change with every scroll and teenagers are faced with constant exposure to trends, eventually leading to overconsumption. The rise of social media has created a culture where teens, driven by the fear of missing out, feel the need to participate in every trend. However, this never-ending need to buy into new trends is extremely detrimental to our environment. When we buy new items, the old things we trash end up in landfills or incinerated, causing damage to our Earth. Such habits make it seem like teenagers are only making the environmental crisis much worse.
Social media has completely taken the lives of teenagers by storm, and it affects almost every big shopping decision that they make. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, 85% of Gen Z males and 86% of Gen Z females say that social media has influenced their spending habits. Social media driven overconsumption contributes significantly to unstable consumerism, promoting poor working conditions and exacerbating environmental degradation. In the fashion industry, fast fashion brands like Shein and Forever 21 capitalize on this trend, selling cheap, trendy clothing that is quickly discarded. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that 11.3 million tons of textiles were landfilled in 2018 alone. These clothes can pollute our environment with chemicals and microplastics, and their production contributes to about 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Despite the challenges posed by overconsumption, many teens are taking proactive steps to combat climate change. Here at Lambert, clubs like 350 Lambert are encouraging students to take action in their local communities and beyond to combat climate change and overconsumption.
Senior and 350 Lambert president Rayan Batada said, “Speaking from a local level, we’ve done cleanups, we’ve done fundraising and we fundraised over $1,000. With that money we planted 500 trees,” and they continue to use those funds for supplies for protests and other future needs. He continued, “We’re also protesting the large companies and their use of coal, fossil fuel, and everything else that creates these greenhouse gasses.”
It is easy to look at teenagers overall and generalize that their actions are hurting the environment. However, teens are working towards becoming an active part of the solution. Students are increasingly aware of how their choices contribute to such problems and are taking steps to change their habits. This shift is evident by the active participation in sustainability initiatives. Student groups like 350 Lambert are hoping to reduce their negative environmental impact by getting companies to hear their voices and make changes in their own lives and communities.
Teens at Lambert have the opportunity to rise beyond overconsumption and embrace a culture of sustainability. Many clubs are trying to commit to participation in environmental initiatives and are seeing a growth in participation, directly showing the sparks of a change in teenagers.
“It’s not just 350 Lambert,” Batada furthered. “There are other clubs too, like Beta, Key Club and NHS. They’re all doing service activities, cleanups and more. Clubs like VT SEVA Change Earth are also participating in road cleanups, and Change Earth is doing composting and recycling at school.”
Students are beginning to prioritize climate crises around them and are directing their energy towards more meaningful causes. However, the lure of social media driven overconsumption remains strong and holds people back from actually creating meaningful change. Change requires more participation from students and an understanding of why such change is important.
To further increase student involvement, awareness and education are critical. The challenge lies in helping students understand the long-term consequences of their consumption habits and recognize how the actions they take in their daily lives leaves a negative environmental footprint. Educating students on these issues empowers them to make informed choices, transforming their habits and encouraging others to do the same.
Teens are not the problem, but it is crucial that they become a part of the solution by forgoing the allure of disposable trends. The responsibility lies not just with the individual but with the entire community to celebrate a culture that values sustainability over convenience.
