EXPERT ADVISORY – April 3, 2025 – R0045
As Canadians continue swapping American-made goods for local alternatives, Jennifer Ellen (Jenellen) Good says the time may be right for conversations to shift from what is being consumed — to how much.
“We’re living in fraught times and in amongst the chaos, it seems like an opportunity to think differently about the stories we tell about consumerism and our planet,” she says. “Sure, let’s buy Canadian, but what about also buying less?”
The Brock University Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film studies stories told about the environment and how those stories relate to the relationship between people and the Earth. For example, she has researched the intersection of fast fashion — the rapid production and distribution of inexpensive clothing that mirrors fashion trends — and sustainability.
“Our collective story is consumption; it is the meta-story that we receive from our screens,” she says. “There are opportunities right now, a silver lining perhaps, for us to have a more nuanced story about the implications of what we’re consuming, including the effect on climate.”
The language of economics, she says, has traditionally revolved around growth — buying and selling at breakneck speed, even if that comes at the expense of people and the planet.
“We’re not encouraged to think critically about consumption because it quickly becomes a false ‘jobs versus the environment’ narrative,” she says. “We also don’t tend to have economic discussions about topics like fast fashion and climate, but these tariffs are forcing us to have those conversations.”
Tariffs are driving consumers to think more critically about the goods they are purchasing, such as seeking out the country of origin and opting to purchase, or not, based on what they find.
A recent report from the Bank of Canada also showed that trade tensions and uncertainty in global markets is impacting consumer confidence — causing buyers to be more cautious with their discretionary spending, as a result.
“Maybe this will be the moment when we start to question and rethink the role of such vast quantities of consumption,” Good says. “More broadly, maybe it’s this economic opportunity to challenge the foundations on which fast fashion and our rampant consumerism, more generally, have been built.”
A big part of the appeal of fast fashion imports is the lower price tag these products offer as compared to locally produced alternatives. This may be the time to instead purchase fewer, more expensive, made-in-Canada options, Good says.
As conversations around consumerism continue to evolve, Good also says media and digital literacy are powerful tools that can be embraced to reflect on and take action toward a more sustainable future.
“When they are given the opportunity, people, perhaps especially young people, are extremely thoughtful about environmental issues and the climate crisis; it’s a question of how to foster that thoughtfulness,” she says. “This moment — that has everyone thinking about tariffs and economics — is a huge opportunity. Let’s encourage the sharing of stories that challenge the status quo, stories highlighting that it’s time for positive change.”
Jennifer Ellen (Jenellen) Good, Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film at Brock University, is available for media interviews on this topic.
For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
*Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483
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