TikTok "de-influencers" want GenZ to buy less — and more

At a time when consumers are inundated with so-called social media influencers peddling the latest products online, a slew of TikTok users are leveraging their platforms to tell people what not to buy instead.

The trend, called "de-influencing," is a stark contrast to prior ones like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, when consumers were showing off products they purchased after seeing them on the social media app.

These days, TikTokers are telling their followers which products aren't worth the money, or urging them to resist indulging in trends. Some influencers are sounding off about blushes, mascaras or other beauty and skincare items that made big promises but don't deliver. And others are telling their followers to avoid hair stylers and water bottles TikTok itself helped popularize.