The Pros and Cons of Following Influencers
via @double3xposure
In the modern age of technology, social media, and constant interconnectivity, it is a well known fact that it is hard to keep your head on straight. It is all too easy to get caught up in Instagram likes, Facebook updates, and your ever evolving Twitter feed. I, for one, found that the break I took from being on my phone (aside from the occasional Snapchat here and there) this past holiday weekend felt very cleansing. I think a big part of this is the saturation of social media influencers on all platforms of my social media. Don’t get me wrong, social media influencers come with lots of great things. I learned most of what I know about makeup from watching influencers on YouTube! Despite this, I’m still not sold on the fact that the pros of influencers outweigh the cons.
Pro #1: Products, Products, Products
The lifeline of social media influencers of any kind? Products. Product reviews, product tutorials, product unboxings, product giveaways...the list goes on. I don’t think I could count on two hands how many of these videos I have watched in the last month. I have found most, if not all, of my favorite makeup products through influencers that have either advertised the product for their own gain, or used it in a tutorial purely out of love for the item. If not for the content beauty gurus have put out over the years, I don’t know if I ever would have developed my passion and love for makeup and beauty like I have. These videos are also the most helpful thing in the world when it comes to choosing your products wisely. If I want to know if a product is worth the money, or if it actually does what it says it will, the first thing I do is see if any of my favorite influencers have tried it. I really value and trust their opinion! To some who don’t do this, it may sound dumb to blindly trust a person on the internet who may have gotten these products for free from the brands PR list. How do we know they aren’t just getting paid to talk about and promote these items? As much as I understand that these people exist on the internet, I have found a few influencers, Allana Davison, Allegra Shaw, and Keaton Milburn to name a few, that have truly helped me find products I really love and enjoy using.
Con #1: Overbuying
As much as I wish I was a part of an extensive PR list from a brand that sent me every new product release or new season of clothes, this is sadly not so. To satisfy the deep longing of mine to receive everything for free, I watch the classic “YouTuber Unboxing Video”. We all know the type: click on the video and a shot of packages and packages of free stuff fills the screen. We then proceed to watch what is essentially Christmas in July as product upon product is being unboxed. This makes it so easy to normalize ordering or purchasing way too much product. I know that I am definitely a victim of this. I will be the first to admit that I have absolutely used the affiliate link that an influencer conveniently provided to order whatever makeup or clothing item they had just unboxed and loved. Something that is so important to remember: influencers receive product for free. It is their job to constantly be receiving new clothes and trying new products, and it is not normal for the average working person to have that volume of new products constantly being delivered to them. Instead of being so quick to click “confirm purchase”, I try to think of a way I can use the things I already have to create a similar look to one I may have seen in a video, or better yet, check out my local thrift store to see if I can find something comparable for a much cheaper price. It is hard when we are steadily being bombarded with “new this” or “new that” to avoid the overbuying disease. If we remember to take a step back and appreciate what we have, our wallets (and mail delivery people) will thank us.
Pro #2: ‘Fit Inspo!
There is nothing more fun than seeing an idea or concept on social media, whether it has to do with clothes, makeup, or lifestyle, and think “Hey, I can do that!”. A lot of my personal style has been developed thanks to the social media influencers I follow on Instagram and Youtube. They have introduced me to a lot of my favorite clothing brands such as Princess Polly, Reformation, and UNIF. The same thing goes for makeup. As I said earlier, using techniques I see from beauty gurus on Instagram and YouTube has upped my makeup game by a million in as little as the last year. Some of my favorite beauty influencers that I have taken tips from include Nam Vo, Orion Carloto, and NikkiTutorials. Another really great source of inspiration influencers give us comes in the form of Apartment Tours! These videos are some of my favorites. It is so fun to see how people design and organize their interior spaces. I like to try to change things up in my bedroom every once in a while to make things feel fresh and new, and these videos are a great way to find new ideas.
It is their job to put out a good public image. If they didn’t, brands wouldn’t want to work with them.
Con #2: False Images
If social media influencers are good at one thing, it’s making their life look amazing. If they didn’t seem like they had their lives totally organized, we would have no reason to want to look at their content. The last thing anyone wants to see is someone who has their life in shambles making a video about how a new detox tea is totally changing their life. It is their job to put out a good public image. If they didn’t, brands wouldn’t want to work with them. Because social media influencers tend to look like they have the perfect life with the perfect body and perfect closet, doesn’t mean all of this is true. It can be really easy to compare yourself to people on the internet. It is important to remember that we as human beings all have our own unique struggles and stressors in life. It is just a given fact. For every perfect picture someone uploads on Instagram, there are probably hundreds of others that were taken before it. Everyone has hardships, even if they aren’t apparent to the public eye.
Pro #3: Just Plain ‘Ole Good Content
The title of this pro really does say it all. Some days, it feels really good to sit back, relax, and watch a Day in My Life vlog. Maybe it’s been a hard day and all you want to do is to unwind and watch a Date Night Makeup Tutorial or a new concealer review. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Sometimes scrolling through Instagram or binge watching PR unboxings is what you need to do to get your mind off things. Everything is good in moderation!
Con #3: My Busy Day Doing Nothing
Now, I am a girl in college. Some weekends, when I am caught up on my workload from school, taking the day off to just relax and do nothing but watch YouTube sounds like the perfect thing. We all need a break sometimes! But sometimes when I am not caught up on my workload at all I have the brilliant idea of watching other people be productive while I am… sitting in my bed eating chips in my pajamas instead of doing what I need to do to secure that A+. It is easy to get caught up in a cycle of watching other people accomplish things in vlogs or videos instead of getting up and getting things done yourself. Watching videos like these somehow makes me feel less stressed about getting my own things done because I am watching other people check things off on their to do lists. On the flip side, I will have weeks where I feel like I have accomplished a lot, but then I will watch a vlog or video of someone doing their own chores and feeling less proud of the things I have accomplished in my week. It all goes back to the fact that influencers create their content in a way that makes them look like they have every aspect of their life productive. Videos that outline “A Week in My Life” for an influencer are edited specifically so that they look like they have accomplished a million and one things in their week, purposefully not including their downtime. If there is one concept to take away from this article it is this: the worst thing you can do to yourself is compare yourself to others. Be proud of your life and your journey.
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in collaboration with Chloë Sevigny
