Are Social Media Aesthetics Making Us Buy More Than We Need?
Social media has turned aesthetics from a simple appreciation of beauty into a lifestyle, identity and status symbol. From amber soap bottles and carefully styled homes to cafés chosen for their lighting, many purchases and experiences now seem shaped by how well they will look online. In Nigeria, this is especially visible in Lagos cafés, restaurant interiors, beauty packaging, luxury apartments and “restock” videos. Businesses understand that people are not only buying a product; they are buying the aspirational life that product appears to represent. The downside is visual obsolescence. A perfectly good bag, dining table or outfit can suddenly feel outdated simply because it no longer fits the latest online trend. This encourages unnecessary spending, waste and the feeling that our homes, wardrobes and lives are always one purchase away from being complete. There is nothing wrong with beauty or personal style. The real question is whether we still buy things because we truly value them, or because repeated online exposure has convinced us that we need them.
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