TikTok creator rips large wave of useless ads and urges viewers to stop buying trash

A TikTok creator is building a following by doing the opposite of what much of the app is built to do.

In a recent "deinfluencing" video, My Frugal Year (@my.frugal.year) tore into another round of products and urged viewers to keep their money in their wallets.

What's happening?

The video shows the creator using TikTok's green-screen effect to respond to product ads from her feed, continuing a recurring anti-consumption series.

@my.frugal.year More shit you do not need to spend your money on! #anticonsumerism #underconsumption #saveyourmoney #impulsebuy #deinfluencing ♬ original sound - My Frugal Year

"I, for one, am sick of all the ads," the creator opens up the video. "So I hope content like this helps you by bringing to light how ridiculous some of these products really are."

It's clear the concept is resonating with TikTokers. The latest rundown of unnecessary items has already drawn more than 3,400 likes and over 300 comments.

Among the products she mocked were a whisker holder that sticks to a fridge, a bubble wand pitched as a tool for making "3D art," a walkie-talkie with a camera, a button meant to alert others when someone is overstimulated, "hair band sunglasses," a hair-volumizing heat tool, and a trending makeup "blurring balm powder."

Her basic point was that the lineup consisted either of slightly repackaged versions of things shoppers likely already own or of gimmicks trying to solve problems that do not really exist. Users were inclined to agree.

"That button would make the overstimulation worse!" a user commented on the bizarre product.

Another user was all behind the creator's mission.

"If I see an orange shopping cart I scroll immediately," they wrote.

Why does it matter?

The video reflects a growing backlash against social media-fueled overconsumption, especially on platforms where an endless stream of product videos can make unnecessary purchases feel urgent.

That can lead to wasted money, clutter, and regret. My Frugal Year's TikTok account page notes she's "trying to pay off 100k in debt," so she's an ideal test case to inspire others to resist the urge to dig deeper into a financial hole.

With so much of TikTok pushing towards overconsumption, it's necessary and valuable that there are users willing to go the other way. That can help offset the pressure viewers feel to buy every novelty product or viral gimmick.

All of it can add to less waste that piles up in landfills, as well as customers holding onto more of their cash instead of chasing silly trends.

What can I do?

The first thing is to slow down before buying anything pushed by an ad or a viral video. 

It can also help to build in a waiting period for impulse buys. Leaving an item in your cart for a day or two can reveal whether you actually want it, or whether the algorithm simply made it feel essential in the moment.

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