“Because we weren’t being exposed to our friends’ purchases and decisions, TikTok became the source of information on what was trendy and acceptable,” Mundel said. 

Mundel explained that the numbers aspect of social media is what makes it so influential. When someone receives lots of likes and follows, audiences are more likely to mirror what is being displayed in their posts in hopes of receiving similar praise or feelings of satisfaction.

“Social media exposes us to patterns of things that we see and that are accepted,” Mundel said. “Therefore, if someone else is doing something and they are doing well, we expect the same thing to happen to us when we do it.”

Social media can be thought of as a race in which users are constantly trying to be the first one to say, do or wear the next big thing. In the fast-paced digital age, things can quickly lose their sparkle once enough people have gotten ahold of it. Apparel textile and design junior Lily Stroub said the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, paired with the ease of online shopping, have caused trend cycles to speed up. 

“Because of (TikTok’s) short content style, it’s pumping out very fast fashion trends,” Stroub said. “These trends change week to week, it’s toxic.”

Stroub said it can be hard not to fall into these trends, especially on a college campus. Many students find themselves purchasing items that they see on their peers without fully taking note of whether or not they will get their money's worth out of it, explained elementary education freshman Emme Davis.

“I would encourage people to take a step back and ask themselves if they really need something or if it’s just something that everyone else has,” Davis said. “Ask yourself if you’re still going to use it when it’s done trending.”

Stroub said that many popular online stores, specifically fast fashion websites like Shein, respond to these quickening trend cycles by expediting their production, which can result in poorer quality clothes that do not last very long. Consumers then find themselves having to replace beloved items more often.

“Nowadays, clothes are made out of much cheaper materials and they’re not made to last anymore,” Stroub said. “If you’re really wearing an item it won’t last more than a year. The places we buy from aren’t thinking about those things.”

Davis said Shein and other fast fashion outlets’ ability to mass produce these items can raise questions about how they get the job done. Internet users have speculated that they might rely on harsh labor practices in order to boast such a wide range of clothes and to quickly stock up on trendy pieces as soon as internet users begin to pick up on them. 

“I think it can be good for people who are looking for something on a budget, but ethically, it’s not really great to shop from fast fashion websites,” Davis said.

Halfway through the 2020s, there seems to be no coherent look for the decade. Stroub said that, looking back, there have been items that defined an era, but today’s staples do not last as long. Each year used to have its own distinct and unique look, Davis said. 

“Sometimes you look back and you’re like ‘wow, that outfit is straight out of 2020,’” Davis said. “It was a very specific type of look.”

Though the majority of people online are aware of the effects that social media has on them, Mundel explained that nobody is immune to them. As barriers decrease and shopping becomes more accessible, trend cycles will continue to speed up. Mundel advises others to be more conscious of how the internet is influencing their purchases and decisions.

“The same way that we learn math and language, we need to learn the effects of social media,” Mundel said. “We need media literacy so we can protect ourselves.”