A growing number of TikTok creators are pushing back against traditional influencer culture, urging followers to buy less and think more critically about their purchases. The so-called 'de-influencing' movement has gained momentum since 2023, with the hashtag #deinfluencing amassing over a billion views on the platform.
Ohio-based content creator Diana Wiebe, who has more than 200,000 followers, says she was inspired to start de-influencing after realising how many products she had bought on the back of influencer recommendations. 'It suddenly hit me that it was all advertising,' she told the BBC. 'Influencers feel like hearing from a friend or family member because we almost view our favourite TikTokers as people we know.'
Wiebe's videos encourage followers to question whether they wanted a product before it was marketed to them, and to recognise that weekly clothing 'hauls' are not normal. She is part of a broader shift that includes hashtags like 'underconsumption core' and 'conscious consumer', which promote the idea that 'fast fashion won't make you stylish' and 'underconsumption is normal consumption'.
Toronto-based creator Christina Mychaskiw, who also advocates for mindful spending, says she knows the power of influencers first-hand. 'Back in 2019, I was $120,000 CAD in debt through student loans, and I was still buying week after week,' she said. 'I hit rock bottom when I bought a pair of boots that cost more than my rent, even though I knew I couldn't afford them.'
Wiebe believes the cultural tide is turning and that we may have reached 'peak influencer'. She notes that some influencer content is designed to provoke anger, such as videos showing Stanley Cups fitted with unnecessary accessories. 'People will do ridiculous things with, like, their water bottles, where they'll add a snack tray, and then they'll fill it with Taco Bell,' she said.
With TikTok facing an uncertain future in the US, Wiebe thinks the platform's unique style of influencing may not survive elsewhere. 'I don't know the future of TikTok, but the kind of influencing we see on there doesn't happen on other apps,' she said. Despite some criticism, Wiebe stresses she is not advocating for a 'no-buy' lifestyle, but rather for 'slowing down and really thinking through purchases before rushing'.
