Is the youth really reckless when it comes to how fashion affects the world beyond them? Do they run after vanity or do they chase comfort, happiness and affordability instead?
Fast fashion brands entail mass-market retailers who create products in large quantities in response to the latest trends. Fast fashion brands waste over 92 million tonnes of waste and consume 79 trillion litres of water per year. However, the environmental price they impose is often not thought out by us when we buy from such stores; especially, because psychological science shows how we feel a sense of short-lived pleasure known as the “dopamine-response” after consuming fast fashion branded products. So, the task for you is to go on a google search, and find out the latest fast fashion brands; subsequently, ask yourself, “am I a responsible consumer?” If the answer is no, read on this article to find out how to not be a victim of fast fashion brands by understanding the science behind their influence on you
I have been studying various academic papers on this subject and it’s really fascinating to unravel the psychology behind Fast Fashion. Psychological science has helped us understand how we, as humans, are biologically and cognitively impacted by fast fashion brands. When we look at an item from a fast fashion brand, we tend to think to ourselves, “wow! So cheap and looks good? It’s a win-win.” However, such low prices and convenience are disguises to the greenhouse gas emissions of such products. The human body secretes Dopamine or the “reward hormone” in the pursuit of inexpensive things. Such instant gratification from fast fashion brands coupled with short-lived pleasure drive us to become victims of fast fashion brands. You know what? This is their exact strategy: to provide clothes at cheap and expensive prices, because they know of this scientific fact.
Dopamine or the “reward hormone” in the pursuit of inexpensive things.
So, let’s start using this as a catalyst for boycotting fast fashion brands, rather than one which such brands use to trick us! The drive for humans to seek conformity explains why we support fast fashion brands. Humans strive to seek conformity in social settings. Fitting into the crowd and doing what everyone else is doing, also known as “following trends”, is personally significant to humans, in order to feel a sense of belonging and community. Hence, when the latest trends are followed by fast fashion brands, we can’t resist the urge to hop on the bandwagon.
I recently conducted a small research to understand the pleasure that individuals seek via shopping from fast fashion brands.
Turns out that:
- 60% of individuals rated their pleasure and happiness 9/10 after shopping
2. The brands shopped from most frequently often entailed Zara, H&M, and other popular fast fashion brands. This showcases the great inclination we have towards fast fashion brands
3. The main factors motivating consumers for shopping from such brands were: cheap prices, variety of clothes, and “trendy” clothing for teenagers. This showcases how socio-economic factors motivate us to support fast fashion brands; therefore, causing the dopamine-response . Also, a majority (90%) of the participants looked for cheap prices, variety, and trendy clothing, which is supported by their choice of brands.
4. 60% of respondents mentioned that shopping is a relaxing and therapeutic activity for them. 30% mentioned that it is a distraction while 10% of the respondents said that it helped them focus. This shows that individuals seek pleasure and happiness from the shopping experience
5. 90% of consumers said that they consider their favorite brands to be sustainable as they advertise their “eco-friendly” strategies and “reused” materials. However, these are primarily marketing strategies aimed at attracting more consumers. In reality, such brands continue to exploit child labor and contribute wastes to the environment.
6. The ideal shopping brand entailed low prices (90% of respondents), and trendy clothes (100% of respondents).
Fast fashion brands are exploiting the weaknesses that lay within your desires and emotions to yield profit and rise to the top. “Stop being a supporter; be a denouncer instead”, is the best strategy that we, at Envirocare Foundation, advocate for. Once we begin to educate and spread awareness to others about the detrimental impacts of the not-so-glorious “Fast-fashion” brands, we shall experience true environmental transformation: one that helps us meet the needs of today without comprising the needs of future citizens. Let us be global citizens and heal our relationship with the environment, one step at a time.
(The article is written by Yashraj Garg, a student passionate both about psychology and sustainability- here he tries to explain excerpts from his research on this area, from a psychological lens)
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