As unhealthy as it is, one of the ways I continuously procrastinate is through forms of social media. While my Instagram is catered to my personal needs, as I am selective of who I follow, what I like, and what I share; my TikTok tends to be filled with a variety of content. Even though I may not interact with their content, the same few influencers will constantly pop up on my feed, loudly discussing their lives or trying to share tips to help with daily tasks. As I watch their content, I try to not to think too deeply about it, or let it affect me because my life is completely separate from theirs, with very little similarity to their own.
Over the summer, I very clearly remember a video that I watched from a content creator who frequently populated on my feed. The creator was on the way to her first pap smear and was facing a range of emotions about doing so. In the end, she ended up not being able to afford the pap smear as she no longer had health insurance and would not be able to afford the cost to pay out-of-pocket. While I never felt any particular pull to her content, rather finding her to be quite annoying at times, I felt quite a bit of sympathy for her at that moment. Health insurance is a very complicated issue within the United States and it’s often difficult for younger people to get coverage if they aren’t on their parents’ plan. Many adults also have issues getting health insurance and finding practices that accept the insurance plans. Any feelings of sympathy that I felt for her evaporated the next day when I saw a video of her buying a Cartier bracelet. While her previous video exemplified the common issues that many Americans face on a daily basis, her newest video showed that her struggles were still largely detached from society. Most Americans who struggle to get health insurance are not simultaneously buying multiple designer items.Â
This brings me to my largest issue with influencers and content creators: their complete detachment from reality. As Americans are struggling with increasing food prices, changes in the job market, and a real estate market that has yet to completely stabilize, content creators are buying new cars, houses, and going on multiple trips a year. While some of these trips and items are being gifted to them by brands, it still brings up the question of how corporations are able to amass such capital to do so. Recently, Tarte has been gifting certain content creators with Hermes bracelets, while many of their employees are being paid $23 an hour, on average. Even though Tarte is able to gift influencers ostentatious gifts and trips, many Americans are not experiencing this same reality, creating a disconnect with the public.
On a business model level, companies will obviously continue to reward influencers that help them bring in the most revenue, explaining the excessive gifting. However, the issue arises when influencers post about such gifts with little care for the struggles of their own audience. Many of them continue to discuss the “love” and “appreciation” they have for their audience, but oftentimes have no relatability. While I don’t ask for influencers to completely change their content or to find a new niche, I simply ask for a semblance of thoughtfulness. Rather than showcasing their expensive designer purchases, their fancy dinners out, or the time they spend in resorts, influencers must be more mindful of how they are presenting their wealth. While I do understand that they face a catch-22 with someone finding some issue with one of their actions, they can make steps to improve.Â