I had an existential crisis over tiktok shop

on wanting cute things but knowing too much

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling on TikTok and I came across a cool Brooklyn mom with a really cool jacket. It was red-and-brown striped, a little bit quilt-y, and indie-brand-coded, and I wanted it immediately.

Here’s my stream-of-consciousness internal response to that post:

Me: If I just had that jacket, it would make really simple outfits look so cool. I wouldn’t have to work hard; I could just throw that on. I wonder where she got it.

*notices the little TikTok shop icon and sees that she got it off of TikTok shop for $12*

Me: Fuck. I said I’d never buy anything from TikTok Shop. But it’s so cute!

*looks to see if jacket can be found anywhere else*

Me: Oh, it’s also available on Amazon. Well, I can’t buy it from Amazon either. I wonder which is worse, TikTok Shop or Amazon?

*starts to question everything*

Me: What if I didn’t share my outfits on the internet? No one would know!

*looks for loopholes in my own advice….*

Me: What if I found it secondhand? It would be the exact same item, bu…