The Problem with Canceling Influencers for Promoting Fast Fashion
Article by Hannah Nguyen with Middle Ground Initiative, photograph by Becca McHaffle
When I initially made the decision to quit fast fashion, I judged others for not doing the same without considering how much it took me to make that choice.
I was disappointed in people for supporting unethical brands that mistreat their workers and harm the environment.
Garment workers are paid below the living wage; oftentimes, they are paid just a few cents per hour. Workers work between 48-60 hours per week on average. In addition, many people have to travel miles away from their homes for weeks, months, or even years just to provide for their families.
In the factories, workers put their lives at risk by having to deal with cramped and hazardous working conditions. This can lead to injuries that cannot be properly cared for, factory fires, and factories falling apart due to their poor conditions.
In 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed. Prior to this incident, workers had voiced their concern for the cracks they saw in the wall, but they were only told to ignore them.
At first, the workers were ordered by their managers not to report to work on Wednesday; however, in an interview with CNN, Marjina Begum, who worked on the sixth floor, said that “later, the factory owners reversed the order, telling workers that the building was safe… many workers were hesitant to show up Wednesday but reported to work because they were afraid of losing their jobs.”
Out of the thousand workers who perished, only a few hundred could be identified.
Retailers like JCPenney, Walmart, Primark, The Children’s Place, Mango, and many more produced in the factories located in Rana Plaza. Despite the horrible incident, very few of those companies have made reparations for the lives that were lost or changed their ways for the better.
On top of the impact fast fashion has on its workers, the environmental consequences are disastrous.
A Green Matters article stated that “the apparel industry accounts for 10 percent of global carbon emissions and remains the second largest industrial polluter, second only to oil.”
Fast fashion companies also use synthetic cotton to make most of their clothes, which sheds plastic microfibers into our laundry machines that will eventually make its way into our oceans. This pollution can harm marine life and potentially enter our food chain, harming us as well.
Additionally, clothing can end up in landfills due to people throwing them in their trash cans or thrift stores getting rid of the clothes that don’t end up selling.
It took me years until I found out what fast fashion was and the history behind it. Even though I am aware of the true cost of fast fashion, not many people are. Before I quit supporting it, I jumped to take advantage of all of the sales that were offered and even went all out on Black Friday. I bought clothes I didn’t need because I thought I was treating myself.
While experimenting with fashion and wanting to save money isn’t necessarily an issue, putting my money towards an industry that harms people and the environment is.
I’m certainly not the only one who has judged others for their choices. Thanks to social media threads, many internet users have been given the opportunity to learn about the downsides of the fashion industry and some have decided to change their habits for the better. But even though they gave themselves time to learn about it, they haven’t made it easy for those who may have not seen those threads, including social media influencers, to do the same.
A few weeks ago, Shein, an international fast-fashion brand, sparked outrage for selling a necklace that had a swastika design. Although there was no specification on the site as to whether or not it was a Nazi swastika or the Buddhist swastika, the outrage gave people a platform to discuss the ethics of Shein and other fast fashion brands.
Despite what Shein’s intentions were before listing the necklace, many people began to say that we shouldn’t support any type of fast fashion brand in general. Some went as far as shaming Tik Tok influencers for promoting Shein or other brands on their platforms.
While we’re learning the truth about companies we used to support, we must give others the chance to learn as well. Instead of getting angry or even “cancelling” influencers for supporting these brands, we must give them a learning opportunity.
Although many people turn to cancel culture to address global issues, it is not the best solution. Social media influencers may be promoting unethical brands to their large audience, but it is likely because they are not aware of the reality of what they’re actually advertising. Some of them may be unaware of where their clothes come from or the kind of impact purchasing them has.
Canceling influencers does not give them the chance to learn and change for the better. It also doesn’t fix the bigger issue: no matter how many influencers you cancel, these brands will continue to exist; they will find other influencers to get them more customers and they’ll figure out more ways to make a profit. The real problem isn’t the influencers, it’s the brands they’re promoting.
As consumers and as followers of social media influencers, we cannot blame or “cancel” each other for the harsh reality of the fashion industry. Although we might contribute to the problem, we aren’t the problem. We must acknowledge our contribution to the issue and take action. Instead of blaming each other, we must blame the fast fashion companies and hold them accountable for their actions. Our anger should be towards them—the root of the problem—rather than famous influencers.
If you really want to create change for the better, continue to educate yourself about the issue and take action by supporting ethical brands that are transparent. Then, use your knowledge and teach others; but remember to be patient. Call your favorite brands out and hold them accountable for their actions. Demand they do better through email or social media.
As consumers, we have more power than we realize. If we want to see actual change, we must start from the root of the problem.
Works Cited
Ahmed, Farid. “At Least 123 Killed, 1,000 Hurt in Bangladesh Building Collapse.” CNN, Cable News Network, 25 Apr. 2013, edition.cnn.com/2013/04/24/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse/index.html.
Neelis, Koty. “What Is Fast Fashion And How Does It Impact The Environment?” Green Matters, Green Matters, 28 Aug. 2018, www.greenmatters.com/style/2018/08/28/ybXGX/fast-fashion-impacts-environment.
Middle Ground Initiative is a national, student-run organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of Asian change-makers. See https://middlegroundinitiative.org/ and follow their social media @middlegroundinitiative for more information.
