The longest-running trend: Overconsumption

Society has always bought what others have to fit in, but many are now spending excessively to avoid standing out.

By Audrey Rostowsky, Senior Reporter • April 4, 2026

Packages sit inside a West Chicago home on March 10, illustrating how frequent online purchases contribute to growing patterns of overconsumption.

Squishy dumplings. Owalas. Need-ohs. TikTok Shop. Packages. Purchases. More. More. More. Overconsumption is trending in a big way.

Over the past three months, there has been an increase in people carrying stress-relieving toys like “Need-ohs.” These toys were also popular in years past during the fidget toy boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have recently made a comeback. Their return has been driven by social media influence and a rise in anxiety diagnoses. TikTok is the main platform driving this trend, with influencers encouraging impulse purchases of Need-ohs because they are the latest fad.

Need-oh fidget toys lie on the ground in the journalism lab at West Chicago Community High School on Feb. 19, highlighting how trending products quickly spread through student communities. (Photo by Audrey Rostowsky)

“Everyone I know has one [a Need-oh] or has played with one,” freshman Alexa Laris said.

It seems every year a new water bottle is trending and people are buying them all out, this time it is the Owala: reportedly, tens of thousands have been sold in recent weeks. Last year it was the Stanley, and some time before that it was the Hydroflask. It is a never-ending cycle that drives up the price of reusable metal water bottles. This trend has been mainly influenced by TikTok, which is one of the most used social media apps among Gen Z. Gen Z users are often quick to follow and spread trends, accelerating the cycle.

Reusable water bottles sit on the counter of a West Chicago home on March 10, illustrating how shifting trends encourage repeated purchases of similar products. (Photo by Audrey Rostowsky)

“My family owns so many water bottles I can’t even count them. Yetis, Hydro Flasks, Stanleys, Owalas – all of it,” freshman Eva Ryneic said.

The biggest influence on trends over the past five years has been the social media app TikTok. In September 2023, TikTok launched an e-commerce feature called TikTok Shop, allowing users to purchase products directly through the app. Trends are ever-changing, so people often buy multiple items over a short period of time before moving on to the next trend. This cycle continues, encouraging constant consumptionrom this cycle TikTok Shop’s gross merchandise value (GMV) has gone up to $33 billion over the past three years.

“I’m so wired I literally bought something off TikTok Shop while I was in the middle of a nap,” freshman Angel Santiago said.

About the Contributor

Audrey Rostowsky, Senior Reporter

Starting her high school career, freshman Audrey Rostowsky is stoked to be writing for the Wildcat Chronicle. On weekends, she can be found watching war documentaries, shopping for new books to add to her lengthy “to be read” pile, or listening to ’80s funk music. In the future, Audrey envisions herself as a Naval aviator, soaring the skies in an F/A-18 Hornet.

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