Ember Duke | layout editor

Years ago I was eavesdropping in The Incline, as we all do, and I overheard someone telling their friend: “There’s no ethical consumption under capitalism.”

They quickly got to their point, which was ultimately a justification of their Shein haul. I mean them no ill will, but the sentiment echoes a severe lack of critical awareness that plagues our generation and that we are just letting ourselves be comfortable with because it’s easy and lets us have shiny new things.

We are unfortunately in a bit of a terminal situation politically, fiscally, socially and democratically. It’s safe to say the downward tilt of this country is, well, tilted — vertical even. It’s crucial now, more than ever, that we be intentional and empathetic with how we are consuming.

It’s been normalized by social media, influencer culture and the subtle pervasion of corporate presence online that having something new and on trend is more important than quality.

Roughly 60% of the clothes produced today are made of synthetic plastic fabrics which take hundreds of years to decompose, according to a 2024 study by Water Resources Management for Rural Development. A landfill of discarded garments in Chile is so large it can be seen from space, according to Business Insider. It’s an abuse on the planet and an abuse on the workers in other countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, China and India who are making these clothes.

Some of these workers are children. Shein found two reported cases of child labor at one of their suppliers in August 2024, according to CNN. The conditions are also abhorrent and dangerous; of 75 million fast-fashion factory workers worldwide, only 2% make a living wage, and the factory conditions expose them to increased health risks, harassment and excessive hours, according to environmental non-profit EarthDay.org.

Similar issues sparked the Amazon strike in December, which followed a report by the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that deemed that Amazon warehouses had 30% more injuries than the industry standard.

We’re letting ourselves be comfortable with modern labor abuse because we want a new going out top that’ll practically disintegrate if we wear it twice? It’s not just clothes. Influencer culture’s big gimmick is that you need a new gadget for everything — kitchen restocks where you take things out of the plastic container they came in to put them in another “aesthetic” plastic container or “morning shed” routines where you molt your mouth tape, silicone eye patches and latex face-lifter.

In a world that feels like sand slipping through our fingers, looking for the easy fix, the fast dopamine hit from buying things is understandable, but dangerous.

It is true that “there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism,” but it’s not an excuse to pardon yourself of accountability — it’s a saying that has been misused and is meant to parry guilt from low income people who can only afford to shop at certain capitalist monopolies like Walmart and Dollar Tree or else, you know, they wouldn’t be able to eat. Ultimately, it’s another argument that demonstrates how we’re caught in the undertow of anti-intellectualism. The act of consuming is inherently dependent on the output of another being, whether that’s animal or human, but we can still minimize that usury.

People used to buy clothes designed to last. Trend seasons were based on the actual seasons, with brands putting out a spring/summer and fall/winter collection. Now, the trend cycle is instant and always configuring itself to satisfy passing impulses for something new, which are really just manifestations of being exhausted by all the other miseries of life.

The technology age has fragmented us — genuine connection is so last season! The internet has shuttered us away from being present and having conscious interactions with people and things. It’s nice to feel a wool sweater and know it’s natural, that it was sheared and knit with love, that we can continue to love it and grow with it for years because it was built to last.

I’ve always tried to be a champion for sustainability, and I’ll admit I’ve felt holier-than-thou for having a mostly thrifted wardrobe, but thrifting is not some magic antidote to over-consumption. Many, including myself, still gorge ourselves on thrifted things which ultimately form reject piles all over the bedroom floor. Intentional consumption is a mindset that starts before you walk into a store, before you swipe your card.

Of course, there is value in convenience and even in treating yourself — I love my creature comforts as much as the next person — but I’m certainly not fulfilled living like this. Lately, I feel guilty buying new things or spending too much at the thrift store on things I’m only half certain I like, and maybe that’s a good thing. We probably should be feeling guilty when we buy from places where we can’t easily track an item’s origin because change often comes from discomfort.

Ultimately, the major villains are not ordinary citizens, it’s the massive corporate entities and the grotesque Muppets running them, but our actions still count for something — even just the quality of our being. There’s no need to go crazy and upend your life to an extent you can’t handle.

Small steps are still steps; do what you can, wear what you already have, knit a sweater if you’re up to the task, and if you’re going to buy something make sure you’ll love it for years.