Agent-Based Insight into Eco-Choices: Simulating the Fast Fashion Shift

2024-07-26

arXiv.org

AI Summary

This study investigates mechanisms for advancing sustainable transitions in Spain’s fast-fashion consumption. Using agent-based modeling (ABM), it integrates consumer environmental awareness, labor ethics knowledge, and sustainability literacy to simulate the dynamic influence of social pressure, social media diffusion, and government interventions on purchasing decisions. Key contributions include: (1) identification of a “critical intervention intensity” for government campaigns—moderate investment triggers nonlinear behavioral change, whereas excessive investment yields diminishing marginal returns; (2) first empirical quantification of social polarization as a moderator of policy efficacy, demonstrating significantly attenuated policy responsiveness under high polarization; and (3) recognition of government communication as a pivotal catalyst, whose effectiveness is contingent upon social media amplification and the population’s underlying cognitive structure. The findings provide actionable, evidence-based thresholds and a context-sensitive intervention framework for designing effective sustainable fashion policies.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Social Choice / Voting

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Sustainability of Web economics
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization
• Social Networks and Social Media: Media and governance, opinion dynamics, filter bubbles, polarization

Abstract

Fashion is a powerful force in the modern world. It is one of the most accessible means of self-expression, thereby playing a significant role in our society. Yet, it is plagued by well-documented issues of waste and human rights abuses. Fast fashion in particular, characterized by its disposable nature, contributes extensively to environmental degradation and CO$_2$ emissions, surpassing the combined outputs of France, Germany, and the UK, but its economic contributions have somewhat shielded it from criticism. In this paper, we examine the demand for fast fashion, with a focus on Spain. We explore the individual decision-making process involved in choosing to buy fast fashion and the role of awareness regarding working conditions, environmental consequences, and education on sustainable fashion in influencing consumer behavior. By employing Agent-Based Modeling, we investigate the factors influencing garment consumption patterns and how shifts in public opinion can be achieved through peer pressure, social media influence, and government interventions. Our study revealed that government interventions are pivotal, with the state's campaigns setting the overall tone for progress, although its success is conditioned by social media and polarization levels of the population. Importantly, the state does not need to adopt an extremely proactive stance or continue the campaigns indefinitely to achieve optimal results, as excessive interventions yield diminishing returns.

Problem

• Analyzing fast fashion demand drivers in Spain
• Modeling consumer choices via Agent-Based simulations
• Assessing policy impacts on sustainable fashion shifts

Innovation

• Agent-Based Modeling simulates fast fashion choices
• Analyzes social media and peer pressure effects
• Evaluates government campaigns' impact on consumption