From mob wife to office siren, microtrends seem like harmless fun on the surface, but only fuel overconsumption. After all, what’s one to do with the bright green of brat girl summer once the seasons change?

Microtrends are just what the name suggests: Trends that only stay trendy for a very short period of time, made popular by social media until they’re replaced by the next “big” thing and forgotten altogether. The cycle preys on the deeply-rooted human desire to fit in, targeting everyone with no discrimination. Pretty soon, it becomes the only thing you see, but that doesn’t last for long.

I will freely admit that there are some benefits to microtrends, such as giving people a chance to try out different styles that they usually wouldn’t. Seeing a new aesthetic on your feed, even if it’ll disappear soon, opens doors to areas of fashion that have been otherwise neglected.

But the fact remains that everything about fast fashion – from the time it takes to make the clothes to how long before they end up in landfills – is fast. According to Earth.org, the dyeing and finishing processes of making clothes are responsible for over 20 percent of global water pollution. The constant rhythm of buying trendy clothes, briefly wearing and then abandoning them for the latest style just worsens the issue.

By far, the best thing to do to protect yourself from falling down the rabbit hole of microtrends – and therefore protect the environment – is to develop your own personal style. Ask yourself if the fashion you see flooding your feed is really something you’d feel comfortable wearing, or better yet, something you’d actually end up wearing for more than a few weeks. If not, don’t bother wasting your time on it.