From Cottagecore to dark academia, what does social media's obsession with creating aesthetics say about us? And why is it such a problem?

Let's talk social media's obsession with aesthetic subcultures How they’re encouraging hyperconsumerist behavior while muddying the way we shape our identities and why it’s important for our financial health to decenter material subcultures in the first place. Social media affects our money and our identities, so let's discuss!

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Check out some of my other videos!
How Alcohol Keeps You Poor:    • How Alcohol Keeps You Poor  
How TikTok Is Fueling Overconsumption:    • How TikTok is Fueling Overconsumption  
Influencers Don't Care If You Go Broke:    • Influencers Don't Care If You Go Broke  
How Designer Brands Keep You Poor:    • How Designer Brands Keep You Poor  


Time Stamps:
00:00 aesthetic subcultures
01:28 case study: VSCO Girl
02:56 shared visual languages
04:13 aesthetics vs identity
05:03 shortcutting personality?
06:29 subculture disposibility
07:20 decentering materialism
08:29 my mustache aesthetic phase
09:13 lifestyle inflation
12:18 keeping up with the jones'
13:00 final thoughts




Keywords for some sweet, sweet metadata:
Personal finance, money management, aesthetic subculture, making money, income, social media, instagram, pinterest, tiktok, overconsumption, consumerism, consumption, identity, video essays