People love possessions. They love the satisfaction of buying something and owning it for themselves, just because they wanted it and had the means to get it. But when is it too much? 

Overconsumption is, in my opinion, a problem that I don’t often see talked about. I think it’s partly due to the fact that so many people don’t know when consumption reaches the point where it is too much. 

Some common examples of overconsumption are people ordering a ton of unnecessary things from sites like Amazon or Temu. A lot of the time I see gadgets for cleaning or making chores more convenient. A more recent trend is buying accessories for Stanley water bottle tumbers. People with a Stanley cup will buy keychains, snack holders, straw toppers, felt patches, cross-body chains, straps and several other accessories to dress up their tumbler. Out of these add-ons, the only one I see as worthwhile is the straw topper, as it keeps the straw closed off and more sanitary.

Another example of overconsumption is people buying the same book in different formats. They will buy books in several different languages, special editions from different book production companies, digital editions and any other form of a book just to say that they have it in a different format. I get it, I myself have special editions of some of my favorite books, but the problem is when people have upwards of 10 or 15 different copies of the same content with a different cover or color.

Social media definitely plays a role in overconsumption, especially TikTok and Instagram. People influence others to try out different products or accessories and show off all of the possessions that they have. It makes people want more and leads them to not know when enough is enough. 

Overconsumption causes more demand, and ultimately will lead to a decline in product quality. I think people should be mindful of what they already have and be more thoughtful when making purchases to avoid overconsumption.