RCL Blog

This was the mall I grew up going to once a week. This is it now. With the emergence of online shopping, malls have become obsolete; however, online shopping, although efficient, is not exclusively positive. It provides us with more options than we could ever imagine in a physical store; however, with more options comes more overconsumption as consumers scramble to discover the newest trend. When analyzing the shift from mall to online shopping, it is important to note the newfound abundance of options which causes us to over consume as we attempt to stay relevant in short microtrends. 

Previously fashion trends lasted 10-20 years hence the staple pieces of decades. Take a look at the bellbottoms of the 70s or the mod dress of the 60s. In modern malls we often saw a release of two to four main trend cycles yearly. Now these trends come and go in a matter of weeks. With companies such as SHEIN releasing 1000+ items daily there is constantly a new style, pattern, or color being popularized. This leaves consumers scrambling to stay up to date so as to not be seen as ‘cheugy’. A term created in 2013 to describe something or someone that is outdated. This quick turnaround from fashionable to cheugy leaves people with closets full of clothes that go unworn out of fear of being out of style, and shopping carts full of the next soon to die trend.

As we scramble to stay up to date, it is difficult to not be reminded of a story many of us heard when we were younger. That of the Sneetches. The Sneetches came in two types, star Sneetches and non-star Sneetches. The non-star sneetches were looked down upon as less appealing and fashionable; however, they were quickly given the ability to change this through the star machine. Thus, quickly all the sneetches had stars, however now the sneetches wanted their stars off as they had become bored of them. Thus a star off machine was created. This started a never ending cycle of star on and star off.

What does this have to do with online shopping, fast fashion, and microtrends? It illustrates our desire for the new. Once stars became too popular they were no longer appealing. Trends become too popular and disappear quickly to the next of the thousands of options that can be found online. Thus we keep buying, and fast fashion brands keep supplying us with the new items we desire in two to three business days. The old trends go in the trash and the cycle continues. As we progress into this ever quickening society,  this cycle will continue to shorten as we are presented with more and more ideas in 2013 Twitter global trend would last for an average of 17.5 hours, contrasted with a 2016 Twitter trend, which would last for only 11.9 hours. The latest data shows that in 2020, trending topics have a shelf-life of 11 minutes. 

You may be saying so what we get bored quicker and purchase new clothing. What is the impact? With more clothing comes more waste and there are serious environmental impacts. The volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 14 million tons. According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. Is that 200 years really worth the three times you will wear your new shirt?

The internet has provided us with more and more options as it progresses. Malls used to allow us to see dozens of options per store while online shopping contains thousands at the click of a button. Although enticing these many fast fashion trends have lasting effects on the environment. 

Studying the recent shift to fast fashion allows us to see our new obsession with instant gratification and our decrease in patience. Websites such as SHEIN launch 1,000+ new products per day, and people continue to over consume and buy these clothes despite the massive ethical and environmental problems they perpetuate. Why have people put aside their morals in order to stay up to date in the latest fashion trends? 

The source of this is our adaptation to quick entertainment and fast deliveries. People are watching less movies, and instead getting their entertainment from short TikToks. The idea of a 7-10 business day delivery is now outrageous, as we have become accustomed to 2 day deliveries. We crave that dopamine rush from instant gratification and buying cheap items gives it to us. This shift needs to be understood as our overconsumption is extremely damaging and the instant gratification we receive from it is effectively changing the way our brains function.

• “Planned obsolescence’ – when a product is essentially designed to fail, i.e the product is made with a purposely weak design so it breaks down faster and the consumer is forced to replace it.”
• ‘the fashion industry [being] the second largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry’.
• Addictive nature of dopamine and the over-accessibility of it through the ease of purchasing new items.
  • “As mentioned, we receive dopamine before even purchasing a product, and our desire for this often leads us to favour the more immediate option – often the cheapest or lower quality.”
  • “At best instant gratification addiction can make us lazy or impatient, at worst difficulty regulating emotion. If you never have to wait for something you never really feel the sense of achievement and self-satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that you worked hard and were patient. “

Lindsay, Jessica. “How Instant Gratification Is Harming Your Mental Health.” Metro, 2 Nov. 2021, https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/31/how-instant-gratification-is-harming-your-mental-health-15509720/.

• “According to Dr Nick Earley, Head of Psychology at Happence, people with mental health issues are less likely to be able to wait for things they find pleasurable.”

• “This is what is meant by delaying gratification; prioritising things that mightn’t spike our endorphin levels in the moment but provide lasting benefits beyond that initial ‘high’.”

Nelson, Mariel. “Micro-Trends: The Acceleration of Fashion Cycles and Rise in Waste.” WRAP, 17 May 2021, https://wrapcompliance.org/blog/micro-trends-the-acceleration-of-fashion-cycles-and-rise-in-waste/.

• “The volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled from 7 million to 14 million tons in under 20 years. In under 15 years, clothing production doubled as well, with the average consumer buying 60 percent more clothing pieces. Each piece is now kept half as long.”
• “To draw in viewers and followers, these creators cleverly oversaturate people’s feeds with new and up-and-coming trends from fast-fashion brands that can mass produce quickly and cheaply. Since these influencers are in competition with others in the same space, each person is racing to popularize the next big trend. This ultimately leads to many, varying posts and videos essentially saying, “Hey, you! This is the next big thing, so go out and buy it or your closet will be outdated.”

“Overconsumption in the Fashion Industry.” Overconsumption in the Fashion Industry : Fashion Revolution, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/overconsumption-in-the-fashion-industry/#:~:text=A%20recent%20report%20shows%20the,or%20recycling%20of%20discarded%20textiles.

• “It’s estimated that in 2015 polyester production alone was responsible for over 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, about the same annual greenhouse gas emissions of 180 coal-fired power plants.”
• “WRI notes that in order to stay within a 1.5°C trajectory the fashion sector must reduce emissions by over 1Gt by 2030, making it urgent to understand and track the disproportionately high scope 3 emissions and energy use of the fashion industry globally”

Seuss, Dr. The Sneetches: And Other Stories. Collins, 1998.

• There are two types of Sneetch one with stars and one without. The ones with stars excluded those without, so those without paid to get stars. This led to a cycle of getting stars and getting them removed.
• “Do we buy the clothes we do because they serve a purpose or because they help fit us into certain social groups?”
• “Why do some groups exclude others who can’t buy the same things they can?”

“Technology Is Making Us More Impatient, Says Study.” ZDNET, https://www.zdnet.com/article/technology-is-making-us-more-impatient-says-study/.

• “You see, in this study, it took an average of 22 seconds for people to express frustration if their TV or computer doesn’t start streaming a movie properly.”
• “Creating an expectation of instant delivery creates an increased inner pressure for instant gratification. We receive emails or other electronic messages and we feel compelled to reply instantly. And if someone, for whatever reason, doesn’t reply to our messages instantly, we begin to twitch.”
• “Technology creates the expectation that everything should move more quickly, as if this somehow makes humans more productive.”

When you are scared what are you taught to do? Call the police? However, that may not always be the answer, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 80% of sexual assaults against female students go unreported. The hesitancy to report rape stems from the expectation that women must be submissive and accept the violence thrown at them and any backlash is disbelieved for it is seen as rash or overdramatic. 

This expectation is slowly dismantled in the movie, Thelma and Louise, where two women separate themselves from damaging submissive stereotypes and no longer accept the sexual assault and harrassment they are tormented with. The two friends progress from failing to report the rape on Thelma to demanding consequences and apologies from the men who sexual harass them. They no longer are held captive by the obligation women have to remain silent, but rather free as they begin to use their voices and finally take control of their own lives.

Movies such as this are poster childs on how to speak out against sexual assault; however, there are many circumstances that may complicate this in reality. One such circumstance is the setting of college, where rape and sexual assault are dangerously normalized. The series of short films, “The Unacceptable Acceptance Letters,” effectively instigates universities and student to speak out against this normalization of rape, through disturbing emotional appeals that reveal the reality of assault in college for many students despite the commonplace that college is the best years of your life.

Sources:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). A crisis of campus sexual assault. Monitor on 

Psychology. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from 

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/04/news-campus-sexual-assault 

• “25.9% of female undergraduates experiencing sexual assault”
• Shows prevalence of rape on campus
• Percentage increased over past 10 years
• One of the fathers in the videos even exclaims to his younger daughter, “You’re next!”(GS&P, 2016) in terms of sexual assault. This jaring statement again shows the longevity and normalization of this problem, as the younger generation is expected to suffer from it as well.

In 2015, 89 percent of all colleges and universities reported zero incidents of rape. Women In 

Academia Report. (2017, May 24). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from 

https://www.wiareport.com/2017/05/2015-89-percent-colleges-universities-reported-zero-incidents-rape/ 

• “89% of colleges and universities reported zero incidents of rape”
• Colleges are under-reporting rape cases
• This complete lack of justice discourages students from using their voices against their rapists, for no punishment is ever dealt for the crime.

Is a university required to report a sexual assault case to the police? The Law Offices of Andrew 

Shubin. (2021, October 12). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from 

https://www.shubinlaw.com/is-a-university-required-to-report-a-sexual-assault-case-to-the-police 

• Colleges treat rape as a campus problem not a criminal one in order to maintain positive public opinion.
•  The video makes reference to this in one of their acceptance letters by stating, “We won’t choose to protect you from your rapist, we will only suspend him for a single day then you are on your own”(GS&P, 2016).

Thelma & Louise is a 1991 buddy crime drama starring two women, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, it was directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. At the time of release, the film was met with much controversy. A great deal of praise was to be had for it’s wonderful screenplay (won Oscar for best original screenplay) and it’s superb acting however, along with the praise came a wave of criticism (primarily from men) stating the women depicted promoted casual sex, violence, and misandry. This is because beneath the light-hearted, humorous trailer, there is a vast amount of social commentary concerning rape, inequity in law, confinement, and stereotypes for women.

The film was written for women by women, doing especially well upon release in college towns which are not so coincidentally where sexual assault is most commonly reported. And it challenged previously held beliefs about subservient women, as it gave strength, power, and freedom to a housewife and a waitress. It spoke out against their confinement due to Thelma’s husband and Louise’s finances, and it explored the aftermath of rape through PTSD and a complete lack of legal justice for women.

Despite being released 30 years ago, the film closely resembles the #MeToo movement. We see Harlan hit and attempt to rape Thelma when Louise steps in and after exchanging words shoots Harlan. However, the women do not go to the police for help, as they do not think anyone would believe them since, “We don’t live in that kind of world.” 30 years later and women’s voices still are not heard with many accusations being swept under the rug or women being told they were “asking for it.” We still see this topic in contemporary movies such as Promising Young Woman, and Thelma & Louise can be seen as a landmark in feminist film as in 2016 it was selected by the US Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry for it’s cultural influence.

“Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline,” is a marketing slogan makeup brand, Maybelline, has been using since 1991. Due to its catchiness and widespread use in TV advertisements throughout the early 21st century, it has become a very well known phrase. However, stopping to think about the implications of the phrase reveals deep rooted problems within the beauty industry. The saying implies that the women in question are either naturally beautiful, or their beauty comes from their makeup products. As the advertisements portray beautiful airbrushed women, it leads those watching to believe their natural beauty is not enough, and pushes them to purchase the company’s products. Although a good marketing strategy, this advertisement could lead girls to form issues with their self image, for they are constantly reinforced that they are not “born with” the models unachievable beauty and therefore they must purchase more makeup products.

This slogan is only one example of the damage the beauty industry can do to girls’ self esteem. And as brands such as Maybelline continuously create new products in order to “fix” our appearance, girls begin to feel a need to fix these new problems the brand created. For example, no one thought there was a need to create the appearance of a smaller nose with contour until Kim Kardashian introduced the world to said makeup strategy. The beauty industry is constantly finding new problems with our appearance and by using slogans such as, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline,” enforces the idea that every time a new problem is created we must buy the product in order to become beautiful. Since according to them none of us are “Born with” the beauty we are constantly searching for.

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