Chelsea Lavelle 

Professor Shannon Giambanco 

English 170 

14 September 2023 

Using Social Media to Change the Attitude on Fast-Fashion 

Social media has an undeniable impact on the way people think, act, and dress, and it is a catalyst for trends. As a result, fads go in and out of style at an alarming rate, and micro-trends in fashion, a phenomenon in which the internet cycles through style trends very quickly, are more prevalent than ever. In order to keep up with the ever-changing trends seen on social media, consumers and clothing brands produce textile waste in mass quantities. Social media has undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of fast fashion and perpetuates a throwaway culture among the younger generation that poses a threat to the environment. However, the same platform that is responsible for encouraging overconsumption can be used to change the mindset surrounding fashion and cultivate a culture that values and encourages sustainability. 

In the journal, “Attention Deficit Fashion,” Reilly discusses the effect that social media has on the fashion industry. Research shows that avid users of social media have shorter attention spans, resulting in rapid cycle trends (qtd. Reilly and Hawley 89). Younger generations constantly feel the need to buy new clothes, and oftentimes, they end up supporting fast fashion companies since they provide a cheap way to buy trendy clothing. With clothes being so readily available at a low price, and the pressure to constantly have the latest pieces, many people view their clothes as disposable, and end up discarding them after little use. Most discarded clothing ends up in landfills, which has an adverse impact on the environment, and I plan to investigate this with sources that explore the issue. Another product of social media is that younger generations are more likely to listen to social media influencers, and oftentimes, companies will use influencers to promote their products, perpetuating the support of fast fashion. However, Reilly also notes that, “Whereas trends and styles were once determined by designers and manufacturers and showcased in the department store, today they are set by the consumers” (Reilly and Hawley 87). If consumers set the trends, it is also within their power to make sustainable fashion a trend. This may encourage others to stop supporting fast fashion and break the cycle of trends and waste. To support this, I plan to investigate sources that discuss how promoting sustainability on social media may lead to more sustainable consumption of fashion products. I also plan to look at sources that explore the methods we can use to make fashion more sustainable. 

I believe that this is an important topic to investigate because I feel that people deserve to recognize the opportunities they have to make an impact on the environment. Companies rely on the younger generation to set trends on social media in order to profit off of them. This means that social media can be used as a platform to show people that fashion can be sustainable, and that one can maintain a personal style while also staying eco-conscious. It is easy to forget our potential to help the environment, but I believe that social media can motivate the consumer to make an impact.  

The potential for social media to foster positive change within the fashion industry highlights the importance of educating the younger generation about sustainable practices. Discouraging overconsumption and promoting second-hand shopping and selling, borrowing outfits, and reusing clothes for other purposes can help people to reduce their environmental impact. By redefining fashion trends and advocating for eco-consciousness, consumers can bring an end to micro-trends and reinvent the fashion industry to create a more sustainable future.  

 

 

Works Cited 

Reilly, Andrew, and Jana Hawley. “Attention Deficit Fashion.” Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 6, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2019, pp. 85-98. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A563182208/AONE?u=nysl_se_npaltz&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=83c2af1a Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.