The Negative Impact of Social Media Influencers

By Saanvi Awasthi

Are influencers genuinely here to inspire, or do they negatively affect our lives? As teenagers, the world of influencers may seem like paradise, in a way that can send our self-esteem plummeting; it can increase FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and unfortunately create anxiety. In a time where people trust social media influencers more than traditional celebrities, many of us love to follow influencers, most often people we have never met. We seek inspiration on everything from personal style and dance trends to life hacks and community involvement. We follow them because it’s fun to feel a connection with someone online and to see how they live. One of the most incredible things about technology is how it allows us to connect and understand others in a better way.

But the truth is that these people only show the sides they want us to see. In a sense, it helps us understand how beautiful they look after a breakup, how amazing their recent vacations were, and how to show off their newly bought clothes.

Even then, we must question whether the side they’re showing is true, that it isn’t just an ego trip they created to reach their aims. With the rise of social media, we’ve become a generation that is so image-obsessed, ready to give up when we haven’t reached our dreams like any other person has.

We feel like failures, prepared to yield at any roadblock we encounter, putting our mental state at risk and giving up very easily, thinking that we can never be like that person and losing our uniqueness in that process.

Influencers use their power to make us buy into something we do not need, and more often than not, it’s a product targeted toward our insecurities. For example, selling a lollipop that will supposedly give us a flat stomach leads to many women and girls feeling insecure about their bodies and being perpetuated into taking something that won’t even help them.

Another problem with social media influencers is also that they are huge hypocrites. First, they say something, then turn back on their words, leaving us confused and questioning our ideologies.

Another problem influencers have is that through various products they promote, it appears as if they are getting paid. In their monetisation process, we feel tempted to buy it even though the product might not be good, leading us to waste our money and sometimes even buy a product just because of peer pressure or to show off.

Recently in the pandemic, the rise of Instagram videos and reels has led to a new problem. For many of us, TikTok and Instagram reels have emerged as great stress relievers and a way to pass the time. People on our screens entertain us for a short time through various types of activities like dancing to trending songs or becoming fashion enthusiasts. These people have created a culture where it makes us think that just doing such a dance and making 2-minute videos can help us become famous and earn a lot of money. At times, this also makes us feel like taking this as a highly unstable profession.

Another problem that exists on all social media but is at its peak on TikTok is cancel culture. That is when a mistake is made by someone in the public eye; people all over the internet are very quick to “cancel” them or make allegations against them. On one side, I do agree that it can help promote accountability. But on the other side, I think TikTok’s culture unfairly forces hatred towards an individual. Cancel culture often goes as far as death threats.

This is why I think cancel culture is one of the worst effects of TikTok. Even though accountability is important, we also have to offer some opportunities for mistakes, growth, and future development.

In conclusion, I do agree I have painted an ill portrait of an influencer. By this, I don’t mean that we need to stop looking up to somebody because role models are important. But all we need is to be aware. Challenge the information we look at, make our own decisions about someone or something, and stop following the influencers who only care about their paycheck, the ones who don’t appreciate those who’ve inspired. In the end, I feel that there should not be any beauty standards for society in general. Indirectly, a lot of influencers and companies are saying that we are not good enough and that we should buy their products to become “beautiful.” Everyone is different, unique, and beautiful in their way. People should not base beauty on what influencers and companies portray as beautiful.