A parent seeking advice on the promotion of consumerism in the classroom turned to the r/Anticonsumption community on Reddit.
The father and former teacher explained in a post titled "FOMO rant, starting them early" that their child is a kindergartener at a public school who comes home every Friday with an outline of the following week's curriculum, homework, and themed outfit of the day.
"While on the surface this may seem like fun, 1 month into school and my kid has been upset on 4 different occasions because I refuse to run out and buy him plaid pajamas or corduroy pants just so he can match his classmates," he wrote.
"I understand this is completely optional and has zero academic impact but it's just infuriating that a 5 year old is experiencing fomo because of something he doesn't own," they added.
Though the activity seems harmless and lighthearted at first glance, it fosters wasteful consumerist habits that can contribute to Earth's overheating.
According to Earth.org, the clothing industry is responsible for 101 million tons of waste that ends up in landfills annually. As this waste decomposes, it can release planet-warming gases like carbon dioxide and methane.
The fast fashion industry capitalizes on durable synthetics like nylon and polyester that use dirty energy sources to mass-produce cheap clothing. Furthermore, washing and drying those fabrics account for 35% of the microplastics that enter the ocean every year, per the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Companies from Philadelphia to Bude in the U.K. and Bonn in Germany have created filters for washing and drying machines to combat this issue. Meanwhile, French lawmakers have passed a bill to penalize fast fashion industries and reduce waste.
The original poster welcomed honest feedback, but the comment section largely agreed with his sentiment.
"I also work in education and it's so disrespectful of families to assume that everyone can or even wants to participate in these types of things," one person wrote. "Whenever we do dress up days, we make sure it's something that folks can do without spending any money, or the classes will do things to prepare so everyone can participate."
"It doesn't have to be that way at a public school and really weird and rude to have special theme days constantly imposed on them," another user responded. "I'd talk to the principal and teacher together and then at a pto meeting."
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