Rejecting the "haul" culture of excessive shopping and promoting conscious consuming, the de-influencer movement is going mainstream – here's why.
In 2019, Diana Wiebe was deep in a social media scroll when she came across an influencer promoting heatless curling rods. "They were rods you could sleep in overnight, and the promise was to wake up with beautiful curls," she tells the BBC.
It was one of many products she was influenced to buy from TikTok, but like several of the others, including skin creams and facial scrubs, she quickly realised she didn't need them. "Honestly, the curlers really disrupted my sleep, and I didn't make it past night one," she says, adding "my hair is naturally wavy, so I think the curler actually did too much".
Fast forward to 2025, and Wiebe, who lives in Ohio, is now an influencer herself, but there is a difference between her and many others. She is trying to "de-influence" her followers from buying things they don't need.
Wiebe is part of a movement – growing since 2023 – that rejects traditional influencer culture, one that has exploded on TikTok, with the hashtag #deinfluencing racking up more than a billion views.
Along with hashtags like "underconsumption core" and "conscious consumer", they share key messages, such as "fast fashion won't make you stylish" and "underconsumption is normal consumption". As we move into 2025, Wiebe believes the cultural tide is turning and that we've reached "peak influencer".
Most of Wiebe's interactions online are positive, with comments like, "I needed to hear this advice today". Others, however, question why she feels the need to meddle in other people's shopping habits. Wiebe is keen to stress that she's not advocating for a "no-buy" lifestyle. Instead, she describes herself as a fan of "slowing down and really thinking through purchases before rushing". Her advice is the opposite of the familiar influencer slogan encouraging viewers to "run, don't walk," in order to purchase the latest product.
Mychaskiw says she knows first hand how powerful influencers can be. "Back in 2019, I was $120,000 CAD in debt through student loans, and I was still buying week after week. 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."
The Toronto-based content creator says she felt trapped in a cycle of "Instagram versus reality", she tells the BBC. "I had this idea of what my life should look like based on my career and what my peers were doing."
It's a theme Mychaskiw often discusses on her podcast, where she hears from listeners struggling with both the constant pressure to buy and the disappointment when products fail to meet expectations. "People don't see the value in what they're buying anymore. The promise of these items just isn't living up to expectations. It feels like everything is getting more and more expensive, but lower quality and less satisfying."
Mychaskiw doesn't want people to make the same mistake she did, initially going cold-turkey on consumption, and living a minimalist life – which, she says, made her miserable. She's since come to a half-way house – treating herself from time to time, but reminding herself before hitting the shops, to "shop her wardrobe" first.
The content creator has now written off her student debt. Her advice for others? "Get off your phone. Scrolling and constantly consuming content makes you more likely to give in to subliminal messages," she says. "Put the phone down, touch grass, play with your wardrobe, and use what you already have to create fun looks. Maybe you'll realise what you have is good enough."
Graham advises anyone finding their own style to be patient. "Personal style needs time to develop and experiment with the same pieces. Crucially, it's also about buying what you like, versus what is trend-driven," she says. "With influencers persuading us to buy clothes, we're buying items that represent the lifestyle of someone else, and trying to emulate their life, but that doesn't result in a practical wardrobe".
Graham's approach means she's deliberate about new purchases, and values letting her clothes "age" over time. "I have a jacket which I've owned for six years, and I love styling it," she explains. "There's something nice about watching clothes change. Right now, used carpenter jackets and distressed Carhartt pants are in fashion, but instead of buying them from a vintage shop, why not get a pair and let them age overtime".
She says the same is true about trends. "Fast fashion will never be authentic. If we look at indie sleaze for example, those classic looks come from people who genuinely live that lifestyle, not because they've bought ripped jeans online."
"The key to breaking that cycle and working out what you like is making more intentional purchases by cutting out the small, impulsive ones."
The author, who is also a contributing editor of Elle, says we all have a role to play. "From the billionaire-company-owners to influencers and us as consumers," she tells the BBC. "On social media, I had a postal worker reach out to me, who said they delivered a Shein package to one house 17 times in a month."