Influencer Or Influenza? How The ‘Influencing’ Culture Has Become Showing Off Wealth & Looks
The big question nowadays is, who EXACTLY are influencers trying influence, and what on earth does their job description entail?!
From globe-trotting in private jets, decking up in designer OOTDs to flaunting expensive rides and dining for free practically every second day… has the blogging culture really just become showing off in the name of influencing?
Isn’t the point of influencing basic? Influence followers to do better, feel better, live better… not feel crummy about their ‘average’ lives or natural looks with the influx of pointless promotions from privileged individuals with lavish lifestyles and plastic faces.
What started off as social media blogging has slowly but surely transitioned into a game of flaunting one’s wealth, looks and lifestyle.
If you have the money, the looks and the life then you are a certified influencer. It’s that simple… but are we to blame for this new shift in culture?
The Instagram obsession has prompted many Brit influencers to escape UK’s lockdown and jet off to holiday destinations like Dubai and the Maldives in search of party spots and luxe photo op venues
These ‘so-called’ ‘fluencers have been under fire now more than ever because of their desperation to get out of the plummeting cold and into pleasant climates to boast of their bodies and lifestyle.
Comedian Alistair Green’s satire on influencers in Dubai is basically the entire situation in a nutshell…
influencer in Dubai pic.twitter.com/G9XZjX5iNu
— alistair green (@mralistairgreen) February 3, 2021
Many have gained a mass following of over millions on social media by merely putting their opulence and lifestyle on display e.g. Hushpuppi and this is the content that we’ve begun to consume
Without doing much, Hushpuppi nabbed 2.5 MILLION followers on his Instagram account.
What does he post about you ask? Only his AED2 mill cars, his Gucci shopping hauls, expensive holidays and regular travel updates… enough to classify him as a top-notch influencer in today’s day and age.
His followers were blindsided last year when the Nigerian ‘businessman’ was taken into custody by Dubai officials for his multimillion-dollar frauds and money laundering cases. Realizing that they’ve been supporting an Instagrammer who flaunted wealth obtained through fraudulent activities.
But what Hushpuppi’s case taught us is that this is the content we’ve grown to love and desire to consume!
We are to blame for the current culture of influencers because we want to see the glam. We want to see good looking people and disregard influencers in it for the change.
We disregard activists and social workers.
We disregard individuals advocating for a positive change and swipe till we are comforted with frivolous ‘grammers displaying their lavish privilege.
We discredit influential bloggers like Danae Mercer, just to support and justify individuals like Hushpuppi and idolize them for their ‘faux hustle’.
We are to blame for the existing influencer culture, they get their follows from us, the audience dictates the shift in content. So until we change what we consume, the content will remain the same. Frivolous and pointless.
