Social media influencers are widely popular for their unfiltered entertainment and authenticity. People love to consume their content and often draw inspiration from them. This gives Influencers the power to set trends and shape how audiences behave and perceive things. While this influence can have positive effects, it also has its drawbacks. It is essential to be aware of these negative impacts and to promote digital literacy so that people will consume content on social media responsibly.
High Beauty Standards
Social media influencers often present a flawless and beautiful image of themselves, which is usually heavily edited and filtered using various apps. This sets a perfect image in the audience’s mind, leading to dissatisfaction with their body. According to a report, nearly 83 percent of women and 74 percent of men are dissatisfied with their body appearances. This dissatisfaction can lead to several other issues, such as low confidence, eating disorders, and even mental health issues.
Promoting Materialism
These influencers often showcase luxury and abundant living, promoting materialism among their followers. Sometimes, these luxuries are not real, but they influence people and lead to unrealistic expectations. Some people even take on debt to match this lifestyle, leading to a rise in personal loans. A study reveals that 23.5 million Americans currently have a personal loan. This debt can create significant financial strain, especially on younger audiences.
Spread Misinformation
Influencers often promote brands without verifying the complete details, all for financial gains. Followers who trust these influencers end up purchasing products without any questions. This is especially concerning with health and wellness products, where misinformation can lead to harmful consequences. Additionally, influencers sometimes also spread false information about significant issues, leading to unnecessary chaos.
Negative Effect on Mental Health
According to the study, 59 percent of people experience negative effects on their mental health due to social media use. The perfect image, ideal lifestyles, and luxury portrayed by social media influencers create unrealistic expectations and lead to harmful comparisons. This comparison can increase the feeling of anxiety and depression. Additionally, spending more time online, reducing in-person interactions, and the pressure to maintain a perfect online presence also contribute to the rising depression among people.
Damaging Privacy
Social media influencers are sharing almost everything online, from changing clothes to special and intimate moments. This constant sharing leads followers to overshare as well, damaging their privacy. This oversharing increases the chances of data misuse and poses a threat to security. According to a report, in 2023, there were 2,365 cyberattacks in America, impacting 343,338,964 individuals.
Unrealistic Relationship Goals
Social media influencers often showcase idealized relationships, highlighting the couple’s goals and romanticizing every small and significant moment. They show selective moments of happiness, affection, and love on camera, while often hiding the moments of conflicts and disagreements. This selective portrayal sets unrealistic relationship goals, causing dissatisfaction in real life. Additionally, the constant comparisons to these idealized images, increase insecurity and anxiety in real-life relationships.
Setting Superficial Expectations
Setting superficial expectations through their content is another drawback of social media influencers. They frequently share content showcasing ideal lifestyles, exotic vacations, happy families, and flawless appearances. This creates a flawed image of life, leading followers to believe that constant happiness, success, and luxuries are the ultimate goals. Such content sets unrealistic expectations and often overlooks the reality of hardship and personal well-being. As a result, people don’t want to settle for anything less, engage in harmful comparisons, and neglect genuine personal growth.
Negative Health Impact
Many influencers promote various diets, exercise routines, and healthcare products. While influencers may be following these regimes under professional guidance, their followers often attempt these methods without any help of an expert. This can lead to negative health impacts, causing severe complications. Additionally, influencers highlight quick results, without emphasizing the importance of discipline, potential risks, or negative effects, misleading their followers.
Encouragement For Risky Things
Influencers often go to extreme lengths, including risky activities, to get more views, likes, and comments. They participate in dangerous pranks, stunts, and dubious trends without hesitation. For instance, the Tide pod challenge, the choking game, or the “blackout” challenge, which have even led to death. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration also warns people against the famous Sleepy Chicken Challenge, which can have a negative impact on health.
Increase Financial Pressure
People often try to imitate their favorite influencers, aspiring to live like them and acquire the same cars, expensive fashion products, clothes, and other luxuries. To achieve these, they often take debt or overspend, saving very little or nothing at all. This leads to increased financial strain and leaves them unprepared for emergencies. As a result, they find themselves in a challenging position when facing difficult financial situations.
Decrease Productivity
Social media influencers promote constant online engagement and distractions, leading to decreased productivity. A study found that the average American spends 2 hours and 24 minutes daily on social media, often scrolling aimlessly. This constant engagement with the influencer content reduces focus and efficiency and increases mental fatigue. It also influences individuals’ decision-making power and performance in both academic and work settings.
Creating FOMO
Social media influencers keep posting about luxury travels, trendy events, the latest gadgets, expensive products, and a perfect version of life. This perfectionism often creates FOMO in those who feel they are missing out on similar experiences. Influencers capitalize on this fear to market their products and services, leading followers to develop impulsive shopping habits, feeling anxious, and pressured to keep up with the latest trends and their peers.
Normalizing Abuse
The most negative part of social media influencers is normalizing the abuse. They create such content that involves pranking older adults, bullying others, or being involved in toxic relationships, for the sake of high engagement. While intended as entertainment, such content is taken seriously by viewers and leads to the adoption of harmful behavior in real life. This trend also impacts society by contributing to a decline in empathy and respect for others.