Unpacking the underconsumption core phenomenon

Underconsumption core, an aesthetic microculture is currently going viral on the social media platform TikTok, which conveys the message of people to consume less and maximise their purchases by reusing or upcycling to promote conscious consumption behaviour (Fares & Lee, 2024). This thesis will use a consumer culture theory lens to unpack the underconsumption core phenomenon. This research aims to understand why young consumers are using TikTok to share their underconsumption experiences, an emerging sustainable behaviour and how they arrived at these practices. The netnography methodology will be employed to investigate this phenomenon. This research intends to fill the theoretical gap by conceptualising underconsumption, which is yet to be fully developed in marketing. Moreover, it will further contribute to the extended self, conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption theories. This research also offers practical implications as it potentially creates a pathway to commercial resilience that aligns with environmental and cultural preservation at both local and global levels.