Being an “influencer” has been a career for a long time, essentially as long as social media has existed. Being an influencer refers to a public figure who, as the name sounds, has a great influence on their followers. It used to be in the form of YouTubers who were in this position. However, with the current and withholding popularity of the infamous app TikTok, a new era of influencers has been born!
hardships of social media
Firstly, being in the position of anyone who has a platform, it is almost impossible to do anything right. There will always be problems with what an influencer is doing, no matter the situation. Unfortunately, the internet is an inherently negative space. Users are incognito, so people are not afraid to be mean in TikTok comments. For example, there are a lot of random videos where people just simply lip-sync to songs. Occasionally, the comment section is filled with people who are mean for no reason. Calling people ugly, annoying, or spreading false rumors about them. My friend once brought this up to me and posed the question: would people still be willing to say those comments to that person, but to their face?
The short answer is no, people like the wall of the internet in order to express their truest and meanest thoughts. This brings up the topic of cancel culture. Picture this: you are a successful influencer on TikTok. Then one person makes up a negative rumor about you, then all of a sudden, it catches fire. The entire internet is making videos about how awful you are, and you are losing thousands of followers. On top of that, your TikTok comments are filled with death threats and people being downright cruel. In cases where it is just a rumor or if the person did not actually do anything wrong, it is a disheartening situation. Is it possible for a person to ever fully recover from a situation like this?
Influencers are also consistently critiqued because of their lifestyle. The famous saying: “try being an influencer for a day” touches on this concept. An influencer’s “job” is making videos about themselves. They make “get ready with me” videos or “day in the life” videos, nothing that is treacherous. Their “day in my life” videos are typically some variation of going to a workout class, getting a coffee, filming brand deals, answering emails, and going to events. Also, an important notice — some of the most popular TikTokers make millions every year. Once again, if not already obvious, influencers generally live a great life.Â
There is also a classic pipeline of internet stars becoming burnt out, or taking breaks because the entire internet is constantly critiquing them. First off, it is important to acknowledge that they are lucky enough to be in a position to be able to take a break from work. They are in such coveted positions. Some influencers were working toward that position for a long time. However, sometimes, people do just accidentally gain a huge following and are put in that position. Either way, the job naturally comes with privilege. They constantly get free PR packages, amazing opportunities, and more. It is hard to hate on influencers because a lot of the time it is actually envy. Who wouldn’t want to have that access to that lifestyle?
living in luxury
The answer to the question of if influencers are overrated or opportunists is hard to answer. Clearly they are opportunists. I think anyone would take advantage of the opportunities that come with this job. Their job is to influence people. That is why brands will pay them to promote their products, for example. As for whether or not they are overrated, that becomes more tricky. People love to critique influencers by saying they do not deserve the platform that they have. However, the users on TikTok are those who give these influencers those platforms, along with the huge brands that send them PR or invite them to events.
This does not have to be a bad thing. Meaning, I love watching influencers, at the end of the day, it’s entertainment. Some of my favorite TikTok creators, such as @spencer.barbosa, are influencers, but consistently send out positive affirmations to their followers. Being a fan of an influencer is a strange situation. Many influencers pride themselves on their relatability, then the next day, post about going to the Oscars. Something that is not relatable.
There always have been and always will be internet sensations, celebrities, or influencers. This question boils down to how they take advantage of their platform, what they do with their new wealth, and what kind of influence they have on their audience.
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