Overconsumption has become normalized in our everyday lives, but when you actually think deeply about it, it’s having a huge impact on the planet. It’s not just about buying too much stuff, it’s about how that stuff is being made, used, and then thrown away. For my research plan, I want to focus on a 3 main topics that show how serious overconsumption really is and why it matters.
The first topic I want to research is fast fashion and textile waste. I chose this because it’s something I’ve started noticing more in everyday life. Fast fashion is often cheap, which is why a lot of people buy it, but in reality, the clothing is usually poorly made and doesn’t last very long. Because of this, people end up throwing clothes away more often, which creates a huge amount of waste. This topic is important because the fashion industry uses a lot of water, energy, and materials, and it also creates a lot of pollution. Another reason this topic matters is because of the working conditions in fast fashion factories. Many workers are underpaid and work in unsafe or work in unhealthy environments just to keep up with the demand for cheap clothing. Learning more about this will help me understand how big the problem actually is and what people can do differently.
The second topic I want to research is consumer culture and advertising. I picked this because overconsumption doesn’t just happen for no reason. There are a lot of influences, like social media and ads, that make people feel like they need to keep buying more things. Companies market products in ways that make them seem necessary or make people feel like they’re missing out if they don’t have them. A big reason people feel the need to buy more is because of things like comparison, pressure to fit in, and the idea that having more things will make them happier or more successful. This topic is important because it helps explain why overconsumption is so common, especially for people my age.
The third topic I want to research is the environmental impacts of overconsumption, like pollution, climate change, and the overuse of natural resources. I think this is the most important topic because it connects everything together. When people buy more, companies produce more, which leads to more waste and more harm to the environment. I also want to learn more about what this is actually doing to our planet, like how it affects our ecosystem, wildlife, and the quality of air and water. For example, overproduction can lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, and more waste that ends up in landfills or oceans.
I’m researching this topic because it connects to my own life. In the past, I bought a lot of things I didn’t really need, especially makeup, skincare, and clothes, and a lot of it ended up going unused or being thrown away. Now that I’ve started trying to change my habits, I want to learn more about how overconsumption affects the environment and why it’s such a big issue. Through this project, I want to better understand the problem and also find ways to keep others informed and encourage them to start changing their habits too.
Sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9?
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02914-2?
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1073?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15487733.2024.2381871?
