Everyone knows that online shopping is an addiction. It’s very convenient for groceries, clothes, furniture, and essentials. But every so often you want something you don’t have, something that you’ll never think even existed, but you can’t find it on Amazon or Instacart, so you’ll look on TikTok shop or even Temu to see what you can find.
The sales hook you in, the constant 90 percent off,and the insane “buy five things and get one hundred dollars worth in coupons” make syou want more.
After the thrill of shopping off of TikTok Shop and Temu, you suddenly feel guilty, but that doesn’t stop you, at any age it can get you, especially teens who can’t afford expensive clothing.
Kylie Standford, 9, has always loved to wear clothes that are up to date with the latest fashion styles and shopping on TikTok shop helps her keep up with the latest social media trends.
“The quality is very good and soft and the shipping was very quick. It came the next day,” Stanford said, talking about her most recent TikTok shop purchase.
While companies compete with each other, one of the ways online shops such as Temu, TikTok shop, and SHEIN differ from real authentic clothes is the quality and material that they use. Scrolling through the reviews on similar popular tops that are currently trending in the teen girl world there were more positive reviews on the lower end than the ones on the Brandy Melville site.
Senior Sadie Napierala expressed her views on these fast fashion stores after the guilt she felt while buying things on Temu.
“I do not support fast fashion, and I did feel guilty because it led me to buy things I didn’t need,” Napierala said.
Many people do not buy from those stores because of fast fashion but others believe it’s truly a scam. On SHEIN and Temu there are these games you can play that give you either free clothes or free coupons and money. Many Tiktokers have advertised these games and say they worked but their audiences don’t fall for their tricks. Well some of them do.
Si’yamah Bennet, 12, loves fashion but loves the cheapness more. Tweens are at the point where they try to find themselves, especially through fashion, without spending so much money. It’s convenient for them, and since they’re already addicted to their phones, these online stores make cheap consumerism addictive as well.
“I can’t even count on my fingers how many times I’ve ordered off of SHEIN,” Bennet said.
There are a few pros for shopping on these sites, but the cons just keep adding up. The fast fashion culture has been growing since the pandemic shopping bubble popped and prices just keep going up. There’s no telling what these companies will change due to the cancellation of fast fashion and the backlash against the movement.
