On my personal For You page, I have recently seen a spark of the de-influencing trend and glorifying what it means to be an under-consumer. I’ve noticed it more frequently this year, as compared to others, for maybe a few reasons:
- I am older, so I am gravitating towards more lifestyle, makeup, and fashion videos.
- Hauls and “getting ahead of the fashion trends” have gotten popular as of late.
- My algorithm could have been really weird this month.
Anyways, I think it is an interesting topic. Why are you technically influencing me to not be influenced? It just does not make sense. The only time I use this trend to my advantage is when I have been looking at an item for a good while and I need to see the reviews on it from real life people.
Back to the main problem at hand, this is technically an influencing trend! You are telling me, through your platform, to stop buying things. Other influencers are telling me that I “need to have this” or “this is too cute to pass up”. It. Is. The. Same. Thing.
I think it is truly at its peak during transition seasons. This would be your summer into fall, fall into winter, and so on. It is the perfect time to shop for what you need for whatever the next two seasons are. This is also when people want to look at new makeup for their winter shades in foundation or blushes.
When the leaves are turning brown or the flowers start to bloom, I get hit with everything you can imagine. The floodgates open and I am stuck in the vicious cycle of being told I should get or not get the same four products. Maybe it is because I am a 19-year-old-girl, which is most of these influencers’ target demographics, but I digress.
I understand that it is their choice to make this content and that it is my choice to continue watching it. I just do not know the need for it. What really is the difference between you telling me what I should and should not buy? I want a review, not you telling me having six wool sweaters is too much!
This goes back to a big problem of internet culture: too much advertising and the fact we cannot trust these “trusted” influencers. Since they are always recommending these “hot and new products/pieces”, we want to go out to buy them to really test them with our own eyes. Then, somehow, the internet hears us and recommends more videos that advertise similar items to the piece that was purchased. Promise me, I have been a victim of this algorithmic trick way too many times.
So, what truly is the difference? Nothing. I do not want to sound aged, but it is all truly a scam. Buy what you want. Have what you want. Follow the people that you want. Nobody can tell you what or how to purchase things.