It is difficult to overlook the widespread excess that permeates many cultures as Christmas approaches each year. Looking at excessive gifts and decorations, even just the term ‘Christmas’ causes people to think about luxury. But this year, a new collective on TikTok has explored the culture of purchasing less: the thrifty were inspired by the practice of underconsumption.
Underconsumption, therefore, concerns itself with the conscious decision to purchase fewer unneeded items, the utilization of existing possessions to their maximum and the adoption of long-term and less-materialistic alternatives as contrary to the current cultural `norms’ of impersonal retailers and commercialization, including the celebration of Black Friday. This trend, which started earlier in 2024 in the UK, has really grown popular, recording a rise in TikTok mentions of almost 40,000%. It remains true that due to so many young people being unable to afford necessities because of the cost-of-living crisis, as well as so many others who worry about the consequences of buying, underconsumption has become the empowering narrative.
But can this sustainable lifestyle that is aimed at a reasonable consumption of goods and non-waste production exist simultaneously with shining and gift-oriented celebration that has seized Christmas? The two appear as antithetical to each other – as everyone knows, everything related to Christmas is about consumption, advertisers’ frenzied campaigns, massive holiday shopping, and people expecting to receive heaps of gifts and indulgence. But at present time when the global economy is beginning to focus on the so called green economy, when more people begin to understand the economic harm of overconsumption, the contradiction between underconsumption and the holiday temper is felt even with heightened intensity.
TikTok and the Rise of Underconsumption
TikTok, a platform known for its viral trends and fast-paced content, has become a significant driver of cultural shifts, especially among younger generations. In recent years, TikTok has seen an explosion of content focused on sustainability, minimalism, and eco-conscious living. Among the most notable trends is underconsumption, a lifestyle that rejects the pressure to constantly buy more, instead focusing on reusing, recycling, and extending the lifespan of existing items.
While underconsumption might seem like a basic concept—after all, it’s about buying fewer unnecessary things—it has gained considerable traction on TikTok due to its alignment with the broader push for environmental responsibility. As Andrea Cheong, an author and sustainability advocate, explains, “It’s highlighting a behavior that’s quite normal, but in the realm of TikTok or Instagram, it feels so unnatural it’s gone viral.” Social media platforms, often flooded with advertisements and influencer-driven content promoting the latest products, make it difficult for many to envision a lifestyle that prioritizes reusing what we already own over buying new.
Yet, Cheong emphasizes that underconsumption is not a fleeting trend but rather a long-standing habit for many. “The people who are sharing what they’ve done in their daily lives, they’ve been doing this forever,” she says. “They were probably taught by their parents to do it.” The practice of making do with what you have—whether it’s mending clothes, reusing gift wrap, or repurposing old furniture—is a mindset that has been passed down through generations.
As the cost of living rises globally, many younger people are feeling the financial strain. TikTok has become a space where users can share tips and strategies for cutting costs, promoting frugality as a way of life. Underconsumption, therefore, offers a practical solution to both the environmental and financial challenges that people face. In this context, the movement isn’t just about being more mindful of what we buy—it’s also about reducing the pressure to keep up with the latest trends, especially during holiday seasons like Christmas.
The Conflict: Christmas Tradition and Sustainable Consumption
Christmas can thus be a delicate period for those who choose to underconsume since organisations and consumers both display difficult behaviours. But seeing that Christmas is a period when many people feel pressured into shopping for gifts, though gorgeously enhancing their homes beyond the’s requisite degree of grace. It would be impossible to argue with Black Friday offers, that excitement of being able to find a perfect gift for someone special, that joy of having lovely wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree. However, the message of this impatient consumerism can be receivied as oppressively suffocating by those people who struggle to avoid becoming part of this consumerist chaos during Christmas.
Overcoming this challenge is made difficult by the fact that it occurs within a commercial context. Sustainability activist and a retail worker from Brighton, Darwin Alford, added on the pressure to buy during the Yuletide season. “Companies are spending millions of pounds on ads that make you want to go out and buy that thing right now,” she explains. These particular adverts are designed to appeal to the emotions of fear of missing out; the idea being that if you do not buy something now, for yourself or for someone else, then that perfect present or experience has been lost for good. Owning to every store boosting about their offers and holiday specials or sales, it becomes extremely hard to resist the lure of shopping with the added advantage of the culture of gift giving during the festive season.
Because few people think it is logical to choose an undergraduate curriculum that maintains that a society must underconsume during Christmas while they revel in conspicuous consumption. It’s a message which underlines that it is possible to enjoy the winter holiday season without buying more gifts and consume more products but by sharing time, being with the ones you love, and make new mementos. However, recommending that change may be a quite uncomfortable speech for those, who grew up with the tradition of gifts as the vital part of the holiday.
Alford recounts the difficulty of explaining her decision to avoid gifts this year to her family, particularly her grandmother. “My nan, she’s one of those who loves having all of the gifts under the tree,” Alford shares. “It’s her way of showing love, it’s her way of making me feel special.” For her grandmother, gift-giving is a deeply ingrained tradition that signifies care, affection, and the warmth of family. Alford admits that explaining her stance wasn’t easy. "It’s her way of making me feel special," she adds. Yet, she also stresses that having an honest conversation about underconsumption and suggesting alternatives, like giving experiences rather than material gifts, is important for maintaining a balance between family expectations and sustainability.
The Struggle for Balance
On the one hand, such an ethos is useful for making careful decisions, whereas, on the other hand, Christmas is a time when such decisions are not necessarily easy. Specific marketing strategies that are usually associated with the Christmas holiday are meant to convince the public that the greater number of presents provided means the greater number of loved ones cared for. To those individuals who opted to underconsume, it is actually very difficult to be compliant with this pressure. It may be tempting to feel guilty for not being able to engage in the fad of going out and buying expensive gifts, mostly because so many people are overwhelmed with joy in buying such gifts.
The reality of attempting to achieve underconsumption at Christmas is not easy, one of the problems is that there is pressure to conform. In many of the cultures, Christmas has adopted a situation whereby social status and affection may, in some extent, be measured by the material worth of the gifts. People generally have some implied idea of Christmas gifts—that they are supposed to be expensive, thoughtful and numerous. Failure to subscribe to this culture can result in feelings of exclusion, being viewed as a steward betrayer, or indifferent to the specific occasion.
Andrea Cheong, who has contributed to articles about maintaining sustainability within fashion, explains that Christmas doesn’t necessarily have to be a period of consuming more. She quickly dismisses the notion, adding, "It's not a trend thing but a habit”. Such orientation at conscious and sustainable decisions is the expression of such values that presuppose, given the long tradition of the holiday, the emotional and performatory aspects of consumption rather than the material ones. For those that support such an attitude, the holydays can be a period of worrying, giving, establishing traditions, focusing on people rather than money.
Shifting the Narrative
The question remains: Can underconsumption and the traditional Christmas spirit coexist? As more people embrace sustainability, there’s a growing desire to transform the way we approach the holidays. Instead of focusing on buying more, families are looking for ways to reduce waste, repurpose items, and give gifts that have more meaning beyond their price tag.
One emerging trend is the focus on experience-based gifts—things that create memories rather than clutter. Rather than buying an expensive item that may be forgotten by January, many are opting for experiences such as trips, tickets to concerts or events, or even giving the gift of time—helping with chores, offering a hand with a home project, or simply spending quality time together.
In the end, underconsumption represents a broader shift in values, one that encourages us to question the cultural narrative that tells us that more is better, especially when it comes to Christmas. If this trend continues to grow, it could lead to a future where Christmas is no longer defined by an abundance of material goods but by how we use our resources—both material and emotional—to connect with others and build a more sustainable world.
This holiday season, many people will find themselves grappling with the tension between tradition and change. But as the conversation around sustainability and underconsumption continues to evolve, it’s clear that Christmas, like any other time of year, can be a time of mindfulness and intention, just as much as it is a time of giving and celebrating.
