Have you read Jaron Lanier's, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now?

While the book it is about quitting social media or getting you to re-evaluate how you use it, it addresses many ideas of our superficial consumerist society.

“We cannot have a society, in which, if two people wish to communicate the only way that can happen is if it's financed by a third person who wishes to manipulate them.”

Social media undoubtedly has been fuel on the dumpster fire of various shopping trends, hype for the buy buy buy masses and a unhealthy space where people are pressured buy fashion to fit in, or buy cosmetic procedures (the resources of which should rather go to actual medical patients), and being the biggest enabling of self-harm of various kinds.

I feel that social media needs to be part of this space. Obviously, this community is a positive counter balance but the problem is much larger and is discussed in the book. I am still reading his book but I already feel it's having a powerful effect on me. Both my partner and I are considering deleting more of our social media and keeping maybe just one, to help find healthy good communities and the page of the local thrift store for example.

Social media may not have caused the problem, but it is making the conspicuous consumption worse, both the the impulsive buying as well as insecurity-driven shopping.

I strongly recommend this book.