the era of the influencer
In the past the spokesperson of major brands was a famous actor, athlete, or singer. Today this list has grown to include someone who has at least one million followers on Tik Tok or Instagram. I find it extremely intriguing that before the age of social media we held celebrities to the highest esteem. We would want an article of clothing, makeup product, or new perfume because that’s what celebrities had. Low rise jeans ruled the 2000s because Brittany Spears rocked a pair like no other. Elizabeth Taylor had older women buying her perfume because it somehow made you as affluent and as fabulous as her. Every teenage girl in the 2010’s wanted long hair extensions because Miley Cyrus was the epitome of a girl’s dream. The age of celebrity was full of mystery, unobtainable glamor, and highly coveted paparazzi photos. In recent years, the reign of celebrity has declined due to the rise of the influencer.
Influencers have become advertising points for every major brand, from iconic fashion houses like Dior and Chanel to your local Target and WalMart. With this new rise of influence upon society, has come a new way of reaching out to their targeted audience. Instead of being clouded in mystery, I can tell you exactly what Emma Chamberlain eats in a day. I know Charli Damilo’s Dunkin’ order, morning routines, skin care routines. The videos rival some television productions while others are filmed on an iphone in the driver’s seat of someone’s car. Just like everyone else I enjoy watching these videos in my down time for inspiration or entertainment, but I think we all should ask ourselves: are we doing this in an intentionally healthy way?
On my tik tok for you page, there is a creator known as ‘Bee Better’ who does the ‘downfall of insert (celebrity/influencer name)’ videos and I find them quite thought provoking. Recently he posted a video of lifestyle influencer Nara Smith, who is a famous model and social media star. Nara is known on Tik Tok for her elaborate cooking videos that she sometimes films in designer outfits. In his video he explains how many people idolize her lifestyle, not realizing there is an entire team behind her that curates how she is styled, what she cooks, and someone who handles child care for her. While I cannot speak to exactly how she produces her content, his video made me realize that the lens that I was viewing social media through was flawed. On a surface level I know that the images, videos, and shows that I consume are produced and edited, nonetheless media has a deep subconscious effect . The tiny images that we ingest on a daily basis indirectly affect our thoughts and decision making.
Media influences what we consume and that is no secret. Why else would major companies spend millions to be featured for 15 seconds in a superbowl ad? We all at some level have made purchases, changed our hair, or apartment to fit some aesthetic or look that was marketed to us by someone else. I was speaking to someone recently about how I found a great $8 liquid blush at Target that had a similar appearance to the Rare Beauty blush. She then asked me why I still purchased the Rare Beauty product. I simply replied ‘ that the inner consumerism in me could not help it.’ It feels nice to have what everyone else wants; however there is a downside to making purchases to keep up with a perceived lifestyle.
Attempting to keep up with a culture engulfed by consumerism is exhausting and I think people are starting to notice. This can be exhibited most recently in the hate on stanley cup girls on tik tok. These creators make infamous ‘Pack My Stanley with me’ videos that show excessive and borderline ridiculous packing of their stanley cups. It features Stanley cups that are supposed to be packed for a simple walk but have their own attached bags, stuffed with makeup, deodorant, snacks, hair tools, five types of antibacterial and makeup wipes, and the list goes on. This has been coined as a new phenomenon, by some “underconsumption influencers”, in respect to people’s multitude of beauty and bath products and the appearance of a new beauty regimen every two seconds like gua shaws and oil pulling. I would argue that we have always lived in a society that is drawn to things that are flashy and over the top. In the early 2000s there were popular shows such as Pimp My Ride and MTV Cribs. In the early 2010s influencers dominated showing off their multi-thousand dollar hauls and Gucci belts. There is never anything new under the sun. So how did we stay centered but still enjoy our content?
Don’t compare real life to the artificial.
The first step to solving problems is recognizing them right? Part of the issue is that a lot of us, myself included, mindlessly consume media without consciously thinking about how all of it is fake. You wish you looked like them, had their home, friends, and lifestyle, but you don’t know who they really are or what their life is like. The first thing you need to do when watching your favorite influencer or show is to realize that they are real people with real issues and imperfect lives, but it is their job to sell you on a specific lifestyle so you will buy products from them. It’s just what marketing is and it is not inherently evil but it is present.
Don't measure yourself against the impossible standard.
The sad thing about a lot of marketing is that they prey upon people’s insecurities to sell their products; so to maintain a level head you need to have a strong sense of self-worth outside of the things that you consume. This means that you need to root and ground yourself in real life, not in how you compare to someone’s online one. Unethical marketing preys upon you feeling like you are lacking for some product or regimen that you didn’t even know about until you scrolled upon it 10 seconds ago on your Instagram feed. I believe this is harder for them to achieve when you spend your time and energy on things outside of what you consume such as hobbies and your relationships with friends and family. Take time to be mindful throughout your day and find ways to be present. This could be through prayer, journaling, or meditation but it is vitally important that you disconnect from a constant stream of media.
I love a good Amazon storefront and shopping haul just as much as the next girl, but I have also realized that I need to be mindful of how consuming these on a regular basis impacts how I view myself and others. I think we can all enjoy and participate in these things but in an intentional way so we are not feeding into overconsumption and fostering insecurities within ourselves. So go watch that girl’s get ready with me, but go on a walk with your friends after!
