Issue #2 | March 2025
I recently watched Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix and wow… if you’re looking for a weekend watch that will open your eyes on a seemingly harmless hobby we all do, you have to watch this.
The Buy Now documentary dives deep into the hidden forces that drive us to shop, like, a lot. From sneaky design features (yes, one-click buying, we’re looking at you) to marketing tactics that prey on our FOMO and impulse control, it’s clear that there’s more going on behind the scenes than most of us realize. The film features former insiders from Amazon, Adidas, and Apple who explain how calculated all of this is and the impact it has not just on our wallets (which I think we all can understand), but on people (including children) and the environment.
At Rooted Living, we talk a lot about conscious consumption, but even for us, this film was a much-needed reminder that the responsibility doesn’t just fall on individuals. It’s brands that need to lead the way.
Bite-Sized Facts
Manipulative Marketing Tactics
Consumers are exposed to over 5,000 ads daily, many designed to exploit emotions and create a false sense of urgency, driving impulse purchases and overconsumption.
Stuff Is Made to Break
A lot of products today aren’t built to last, so we buy more and a higher frequency. Phones, clothes, and appliances often stop working or feel outdated way too fast.
All That Waste Adds Up
Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned.
Buy Now Documentary: Key Takeaways
Watching this film didn’t leave us feeling helpless; it fired us up. If you don't watch it, read the most important things our team got from this eye-opening documentary, and what we're applying it at Rooted Living and in our daily lives.
Buy Less, Buy Better (With Our Hack)
If you've ever moved, or even just done a huge closet declutter, you likely have felt the weight that our stuff has on us. We know quality over quantity is better, but it can be very hard to resist the impulse to buy something from an Instagram ad (thank you manipulative marketing tactics). Something I've been doing lately is keeping a notes app on my phone titled "Wish List".
Every time I get the urge to buy something, I copy and paste the link to the product, add it to the list, then close that tab on my phone or computer. What happens most of the time is that the pull and "need" I felt for the product goes away, and later, if I revisit it, I'm much less inclined to buy it. If I genuinely am still thinking about a specific product on that list for days or weeks to come, I know it's likely a purchase that would be helpful.
But trust me, 95% of the things on the list lose their appeal after even a few hours.
Keep Experimenting With Your Style, But Do It Differently
There’s a weird pressure to always be buying new—new clothes, new tech, new everything. I do love experimenting with my fashion, it's a really amazing way of self-expression and creativity. BUT, I think we've all gotten a little too comfortable with a shopping trip becoming a weekly occurrence.
Before shopping for the next trend or getting a new seasonal clothing haul, do this:
1) Shop your closet. I recently downloaded the app Indyx, which is basically a virtual closet for you to more easily see and sort through the clothes you already own. It's a bit of a project, but as you take pictures and upload everything you have in your closet to the app, you get to re-find so many of the cute clothes you already have (or find the ones that no longer fit you or your style). Seeing how many clothes you already own is like an instant turn off to shopping ;)
2) Download a thrift app like Depop, ThredUp, or, my favorite, Curtsy. So, when you are feeling the shopping urge, or if you see a gap for something in your closet, start on these apps. Likely you'll find much more variety and fun styles than you would in a single store.
Your Decisions, And Your Money, Speak Volumes
Brands pay attention when consumers start asking questions or avoiding their stores. If they see a whole demographic avoiding a fast fashion store (like SheIn or H&M), they are often pushed in a corner to make more sustainable and ethical choices. You holding off from visiting these stores or websites does a lot more than you think.
Bring Your Friends Into It
I think what's so scary about the overconsumption problem is that it's become so normalized to buy things all the time. It feels like every creator online has a link to their Amazon Storefront or ways to shop their look. Host a movie night with your friends to watch this documentary, or one like it. Avoid fast fashion and make habit changes together. From experience, it happens quickly, if your core circle stops doing something, you likely won't feel as inclined to. Instead, borrow, share, swap with each other, and even the broader community. Whether it's trading clothes with friends or joining a local Buy Nothing group, shopping from what we already have in our community is powerful and usually way more fun.
I think what's so scary about the overconsumption problem is that it's become so normalized to buy things all the time. It feels like every creator online has a link to their Amazon Storefront or ways to shop their look. Host a movie night with your friends to watch this documentary, or one like it.
Avoid fast fashion and make habit changes together. From experience, it happens quickly, if your core circle stops doing something, you likely won't feel as inclined to. Instead, borrow, share, swap with each other, and even the broader community. Whether it's trading clothes with friends or joining a local Buy Nothing group, shopping from what we already have in our community is powerful and usually way more fun.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, the Buy Now documentary is a very powerful reminder that harmful consumption habits have become so normalized, and it isn’t by accident, it’s by design. The good news is, we can choose a different path.
Small shifts in how we buy, what we value, and who we support can add up to real change. Rooted Living exists because we believe in that. A better, more conscious future is totally possible, and we’re building it together, one snack (and one choice) at a time.
