The influence of influencers...The effects of social media celebrities

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY

Multimedia Journalist

When I’m scrolling through my phone, I often catch myself wondering why I can’t look more like the people on my Instagram feed or in the TikTok videos I’m watching. In the world of social media, everyone with a large following seems to have flawless skin, a perfect body and the solution to all of your problems.

The truth is, we have all become so accustomed to seeing influencers hiding or altering things that naturally occur with everyone through posing, filters or even plastic surgery. This creates an unattainable beauty standard where nothing is ever enough.

Not only does it often amplify the insecurities we already have, but entirely new ones may be born. For example, about a year ago, when I was taking an off-brand version of Accutane for my breakouts, I would never have thought about the size of my pores.

It seems ridiculous because everyone has pores on their skin, but multiple people have gone out of their way to point it out to me upon closer inspection of my face, and I even began viewing more ads with TikTokers pushing products to minimize their appearance.

The same social media influencers who are setting this unrealistic standard are now getting paid to sell people the solution, and this has become especially prevalent in the fitness community.

When looking for workout videos, you may come across a lot of clickbait like “How to get a six pack in two weeks” or “5 steps to get bigger arms in 30 days” with before and after photos that seem too good to be true.

U.S. TV personal trainer Jillian Michaels talked to the Daily Mail about how men often take steroids to achieve the look of larger muscles. She claimed that the most common surgeries for women are butt implants and even lower rib removal to shrink their waist.

“The fitness industry is one of the most competitive, so of course younger people trying to break out are going to try and find a way to stand out. If massive muscles get you the paid post for a protein powder or recovery drink, many young people would obviously be tempted to go down this path,” Michaels said.

Marketing companies have partnered with social media influencers because they can really connect to viewers through their content, and therefore, seem more relatable to the average person. A 2023 study from the agency Matter Communications found that 81% of consumers have embraced influencer marketing in the past year.

This gives them the power, once handled by celebrities, to influence anything from what protein powder you use, to beauty products and even the clothes you decide to put on your body.

Some people even trust their favorite influencers to give them advice on improving their mental health and the relationships in their lives, making them much more than trendsetters. But what people fail to remember is that life isn’t a one-size-fits-all.

Clothes that look great on a TikTok influencer may not look the best on you, whether it’s because they’ve had surgeries done to enhance their appearance or they naturally have a different body type. The same thing applies to skin products on different people or even things they might decide to ingest like protein powder.

While it’s completely normal to seek reassurance from society’s most prominent trendsetters, we should really question the authenticity of their online persona and any apparent differences between their lifestyle and ours.

Is that makeup in your TikTok Shop cart really worth $50, or was the woman applying it just using a beauty filter? Should you be listening to someone with zero psychology expertise making three times your income when it comes to their standards for dating?

I’d hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re dating a broke college student, you shouldn’t expect them to take you out to a fancy steak house or pay for you to get your nails done. It’s okay to expect effort in your relationship, but that may look a lot different depending on your and their lifestyle.

While we often lift these social media influencers up on a pedestal, they’re human, too — just like you and me are also influenced by what we see scrolling through their feed.

This realization has actually led to a viral trend of “de-influencing” where content creators have started to post videos that discourage excessive spending and overconsumption of viral products.

As a society, we are so focused on looking more attractive and fitting in with our peers when a lot of those problems could be solved simply by taking better care of ourselves and exuding more confidence while doing what works best for us.

The secret to “glowing up” is doing things for you, not so that you can look like that person on your Instagram feed. If you want to look your best, do what makes you feel your best, whether that means eating healthier or maybe finding the right workout routine for your needs.

You can’t be someone else, but you can always become a better version of yourself.