Internet users outraged over new shopping trend fueled by social media: 'I'm tired'

A recent post on the subreddit r/Anticonsumption highlights how social media and influencer culture are driving the overconsumption of reusable items such as water bottles. 

The post showed a screenshot of an advert from Business Insider promoting reusable water bottles from Bink, sharing that the rise in popularity of the bottle has been fueled by TikTok. 

"This was on my google homepage… i'm tired," the OP wrote above the screenshot, which sparked a discussion on social media trends and overconsumption.

One commenter responded, "This is the dumbest kind of overconsumption it defeats the purpose."

Various marketing tricks are used on social media to make owning multiple reusable bottles in a variety of different colors trendy while also touting the environmental benefits of avoiding plastic. Yet, this is still a type of overconsumption that can be harmful to the planet because the production of these bottles uses a lot of resources, especially if production increases due to demand like we've seen with crazes surrounding Stanley cups and other popular brands. 

Switching to a reusable water bottle is a great way to ditch single-use water bottles, avoid plastic, and reduce waste. However, the whole point of this sustainable solution is to reduce our ecological impact by replacing thousands of plastic water bottles with one reusable bottle, not a shelf full. 

Choosing to use a reusable water bottle can save you a lot of money on bottled water while also helping to avoid microplastics. According to Project Clean Water, a $20 reusable bottle can save you $6,180 in five years and help avoid a lot of plastic waste. 

People in the comments were amazed at this latest craze. 

One wrote, "I got a metal water bottle back in college over a decade ago. Never needed a new one or any more than that. Why are people treating this as a fad?"

"What happened to getting one water bottle and putting at many stickers on it as possible? is it just me," wrote another.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a refillable product? Saving money 💰 Reducing plastic waste 🗑️ Using less shelf space at home 💁‍♀️ Getting easy refill deliveries 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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