This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Jeanny Sánchez Gómez. Find them on Instagram at @jeanny_sanchez. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In a world where fashion trends come and go in the blink of an eye, consumers and workers are being taken advantage of by predatory companies. They do this by paying horrible labor wages, pushing overconsumption, and enlarging our landfills. Knowing the consequences of fast fashion, many have tried to avoid these sites whether it’s Shein, Temu, or Cider. So why have we decided that the TikTok shop is okay? Mass-producing micro-trendy items while also allowing small creators to sell their work on the app, is TikTok shop ethical? Or is it just another fast-fashion site that will disappear when the next one blows up?
We’ve previously discussed on our site the annoying consistency of the TikTok Ads and some sketchy practices put in place when checking out your cart. From the launch of this feature on TikTok back in 2023, many have already decided that the shop was just another form of fast fashion that most likely wouldn’t go away. And while that still may be true, there are a few highlights that make it a slightly better option than other sites.
Pros:
Supporting Small
One of my favorite parts of any social media app is the ability to find and connect with small or local artists and buy directly from them. And on TikTok, just like the videos on your For You page, these ads are also perfectly tailored to you. The convenience of it all makes shopping here great. Within a few moments of scrolling through the app, I was shown the above ad for a shirt that I would buy if I had seen it in a store near me. After reading more about the product and seller and getting to know that it was a small artist selling these, it makes it feel like an even better purchase.
Ethical Brands
Another positive of using TikTok shop is being able to find ethical clothing brands a little easier. Whether you find these brands through influencers, random videos under a search, or through the brand itself, you get an overload of information on whether that brand is ethically making their clothes or not all in a few seconds. Once again the convenience factor plays in with this, as a majority of the time these companies have a shop set up so that you can buy their products through the app instead of having to go to their website. And while this is just one less step, it’s also one less second of overthinking that purchase.
Money-Making Opportunities
There are two ways to make money through TikTok shop. One is to be a seller, which as we discussed above can help small businesses get off the ground by exposing them to a bigger audience than they might have otherwise reached. Neatly packed into one app, small businesses can make their promotional videos while simultaneously linking to their product for an easy sale.
The second way, and probably what you have seen the most, is to become an affiliate seller. All those videos that seem to be randomly talking about one item or another have a decent amount of views, with a little orange cart in the bottom left corner that you don’t notice until the end. All of those videos are made by affiliate sellers, who make a commission off sales made by using their links. This opens up an opportunity to make extra money without the need to sell anything you directly make. Whether you are struggling and just trying to make some extra money, or using it as a side gig, buying through these creators’ links still helps someone on an individual level rather than a huge corporation that probably doesn’t need more of your money.
Cons:
Overconsumption
As I mentioned earlier, just like any other fast-fashion site, TikTok shop has promoted a culture of overconsumption. The difference? TikTok shop is also fueled by an influencer culture that can easily convince consumers in seconds. While other sites might get you with their cheap prices, it is easier to delete your cart before committing to buying those items. But on TikTok, you’re assaulted with a positive view of the product before you can overthink buying that product.
On top of that, TikTok is the birthplace of a multitude of micro-trends that saw the light of day for a month and fueled an onslaught of purchases before peacefully passing the torch to the next trend. With the availability of a large selection of items, the problem of overconsumption expands beyond fast-fashion clothing. People begin to purchase any new ‘life hack’ product to make life prettier or more convenient which eventually ends up in their garage or garbage can or at the bottom of their closet.
Fake/Unreliable products
Just like with any other website you can buy things on, you should try to make sure these items are real and that you won’t be scammed. While on other sites, it’s easier to pinpoint whether it’s legit or not, it gets a little confusing figuring that out on TikTok. Many products are sold through a variety of vendors and with little assurance on which one is legit or not. Going as far as having alerts issued about fake products on the app, it can be potentially risky shopping here. In addition, many customers, also have issues with the product taking longer to ship than they expected, or getting something completely different from what they bought.
Instant Gratification
The last con I will mention is the problem of instant gratification. While there are plenty of reasons why people can’t help but shop ‘til they drop, TikTok shop itches that need a little easily. Before even having the shop feature, scrolling through TikTok provided an instant dose of serotonin, while shortening our attention spans. Adding shopping to the mix, the issue gets worse. Not only do you have the convenience of online shopping, but you can do it in between watching silly videos. This makes the waste feel minimal when your wants are instantly satisfied.
Between the pros and cons of using this feature, it leaves room for debate on whether TikTok shop is ethical. Supporting small businesses or fast-fashion companies, TikTok can be a morally gray area depending on where you stand.
Do you think TikTok shop is ethical? Or is it still as bad as other sites? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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