Behind the GRWM Aesthetic: The Trap of Consumerism and Impulse Shopping

Source : Pinterest

APERO FUBLIC  I  Recently, the GRWM (Get Ready With Me) trend has become incredibly popular on social media. This content showcases skincare routines, makeup routines, and outfits in a casual and engaging way. It continues to attract millions of viewers.

While this content may seem entertaining, beneath its aesthetics, GRWM is quietly influencing viewers’ consumption mindsets, transforming informal interactions into powerful marketing tools.

I argue that the GRWM trend can encourage consumerism, consumer behavior, and impulse buying because the content presents products in a persuasive and natural way, without appearing like a rigid advertisement. GRWM can improve purchasing decisions and make viewers more interested in purchasing the products featured, especially because the presentation feels natural and convincing. 

Viewers are often unaware that they are being persuaded. This tempts viewers to purchase items not based on need but rather to fulfill personal desires, prestige, or simply to follow the ideal lifestyle trend depicted.

This trend is effective as a covert promotional tool because the product isn’t presented like a rigid advertisement. Unlike traditional advertising, which is often stiff and easily filtered out by wary consumers, GRWM content leverages the power of natural and engaging storytelling.

This format creates a seamless integration of product placement, effectively blurring the lines between personal recommendations and commercial promotions. GRWM makes people want to buy products because the content seems casual, authentic, and similar to a recommendation from a friend. Viewers are more likely to trust and be interested in trying the product.

Because these influencers often demonstrate products in contexts that seem authentic and real, viewers are more likely to perceive these items as essential components of an ideal lifestyle rather than mere advertisements. Through natural storytelling, viewers who initially intended to buy only one item are often encouraged to purchase the entire product range.

Furthermore, the GRWM trend also encourages the formation of parasocial relationships, a one-way psychological bond in which viewers feel closeness and trust with influencers. This relationship, combined with social comparison on social media, creates a powerful pathway for impulse buying.

This content portrays an idealized lifestyle that seems must-have, triggering feelings of “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) and self-image anxiety. To bridge the gap between their reality and the idealized lifestyle portrayed by influencers, viewers often turn to unplanned, spontaneous purchases as a mechanism to align their self-identity with the persona of the influencer they admire. Furthermore, this parasocial bond can increase the likelihood of online impulse buying in the beauty and fashion categories.

GRWM (Get Ready With Me) is indeed appealing because it offers entertainment, creativity, and lifestyle inspiration that helps viewers discover quality products. However, if consumed without awareness, this trend risks fueling an excessive consumerist lifestyle. 

Content that emphasizes impulsive shopping and constant new products can encourage spending without considering long-term needs. As a result, viewers, especially vulnerable ones, can experience financial stress and decreased personal financial stability. Therefore, content creators and viewers need to prioritize ethical consumption and financial education when producing or participating in GRWM.

Essentially, GRWM is more than just an entertainment trend; it reinforces consumer culture in the digital age through subtle psychological manipulation. To mitigate the influence of GRWM, as good social media users, we must improve our media literacy, think critically before purchasing, and distinguish between genuine needs and desires that arise from viewing content. It is crucial for social media users to have a more critical perspective.

By practicing better media literacy and pausing to consider and distinguish between genuine needs and externally triggered desires, consumers can regain full control over their spending habits and break free from the subtle influence of digital consumerism in the GRWM trend.

By: Syipaul Auliya

Editorial. Redaktion Team