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Spilling over the side, products owned by Lawrence High students accumulate at the bottom of a bathroom sink.
Spilling over the side, products owned by Lawrence High students accumulate at the bottom of a bathroom sink.
Aubrie Magnuson
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Social media trend counteracts consumerist culture

Combating the massive hauls, PR unboxings, and extensive product reviews that saturate the average Lawrence High School student’s For You Page “Project Pan” is going against the grain.

According to Vogue, this initiative seems to have originated with a community of ‘panners’ across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, gathering cosmetics consumers with a new goal. The term ‘pan’ is versatile, and refers both to a small success in the form of a visibly used makeup product and a larger goal to eradicate any product or ‘hit pan.’

Recently, panning was introduced to the masses of TikTok and popularized as inspiration for New Year’s resolutions. Participants make videos listing all of their unused or partly used products and how they plan to move through them in the new year. The videos are often followed by updates on their ‘empties’ or finished products and which ones they would repurchase. 

The effort is not just about using up products. Participants are encouraged to carefully evaluate their purchases with thorough research. All these efforts contribute to more mindful consumption, which lies at the root of Project Pan. 

This trend comes as a refreshing counterbalance to the consumerist status quo that presides over social media and could signify a mass mindset shift in how young people consume. 

For some, Project Pan’s appeal comes from the satisfaction of finishing a product. For others, the environmental impact of the beauty industry is a driving factor. 

“I think as a society, especially in the United States, we consume so much and so much of it ends up in Landfills and the oceans. It doesn’t decompose for many, many years,” senior environmental science student Celeste Stinson said. 

The cosmetics industry has a profound impact on the environment, starting with its mass manufacturing.

“Things like perfume have really complicated hydrocarbons that are synthesized in labs a lot of times or derived from products like palm oil,” chemistry teacher Clara Duncan said. “It’s really destructive to the environment.”

1. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/harmful-chemicals-in-your-cosmetics
2. https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/beauty-spending/#:~:text=Three%2Dquarters%20of%20Americans%20(75,and%20%242%2C048%20among%20Gen%20Zers.
3. https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/environmental-impact-of-cosmetics/
4. https://theindustry.beauty/billions-of-beauty-packaging-goes-unrecycled-every-year/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5152996/#:~:text=It%20is%20found%20that%20around,formaldehyde%2Dreleasers%20%5B16%5D. (Ruby Hull)

Environmental science teacher Lisa Ball recommends the Environmental Working Group as a reliable resource for anyone looking to reassess their purchasing habits. Consumer Guides such as the Skin Deep cosmetics database offer detailed ratings of various beauty products and their sustainability. The Environmental Working Group has been illuminating the facts of sustainable consumption since 1993, along with countless other organizations. However, when these initiatives are brought to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, they become that much more accessible to their young users. 

Some students have already been aligning themselves with this effort. Senior Ava Lee is one of these students and hopes that the trend will persevere beyond its fifteen minutes of fame. 

“I think that it should just be something that we’re always keeping in mind,” Lee said. “I think that people should join these ‘trends’ because they really think that it’s important and they value being mindful of what they consume.”

Lee also said that the current climate of social media encourages excessive shopping habits that create unrealistic beauty standards, particularly for young women. 

“I think it can be really dangerous, especially for girls that are directly below our age group, because I think there’s a tendency for them to feel like they need to grow up sooner than they should,” Lee said. “It just perpetuates the constant feeling of want and materialism.”

These sky-high standards turn a steady profit for the cosmetics industry, which Duncan says thrives off of insecurities. Trends like Project Pan could help combat this. 

“I think a lot of times cosmetic industries try to make people feel uncomfortable with the way they look,” Duncan said. “I think that’s really unfortunate for kids at such a young formative age to be so uncomfortable with the way they look.”

This topic is particularly prevalent to LHS students as Winter Formal approaches. The minds of Lawrence High’s student body are even more consumed with buying new products, most notably in the clothing industry. Cheap fast fashion brands that offer garments only meant for one wear are by far the most popular picks. However, some students are taking formal as an opportunity to apply Project Pan beyond cosmetics.

“I think if we want to make change, it has to start somewhere, even if that means that you’re not going to buy a new dress this year for formal,” Stinson said. “Even though it might not seem like it’s a big contribution because you’re just one person, it really does add up.”

Trends like Project Pan have the potential to help educate younger generations on how to reduce their environmental footprint by just scrolling through social media. 

“I always try to be mindful of what I purchase and when I feel myself wanting too many things I try to take a minute and ask myself if it’s necessary,” Lee said. “If we are, as a generation, moving towards this kind of mindset then that’s always a good thing, and I would love to be a part of that transition.”

Although solar panels and electric cars are making big strides towards a cleaner planet, Project Pan shows how a small habitual shift can have a significant impact.

“If you just take a step back and assess ‘what do I have in my closet, what do I have in my makeup bag’… the chances are you probably do have everything you need and a little bit more,” Stinson said. “There’s a line that needs to be drawn between how you can have fun and express yourself while also being conscious of not completely over-consuming.”