My Latest Guilty Pleasure – Influencers Gone Wild

Effectively, y’all, I’m all the way down to my final three tasks for the bed room, after which it is going to be FINISHED! I nonetheless have to cowl the attic entry, paint the aspect desk (which I’ve already carried out, however I don’t like the colour), and paint the outlet covers. Then I’ll in all probability take tomorrow to verify every thing is completed, possibly do some paint touchups if wanted, and get my closing footage that I’ll share with you on Monday. I can’t imagine that I’m lastly this near the end line on this huge bed room suite undertaking that I’ve been engaged on for over a 12 months!

So within the meantime, I needed to share what I’ve been listening to these days to maintain myself entertained whereas I work. I’m all the time listening to one thing whereas I work, whether or not it’s a podcast or a YouTube video. I by no means hearken to music. I like tales and knowledge.

Anyway, over my break on the finish of final 12 months, I caught up on some episodes from a YouTube channel I observe. The lady’s title is Hannah Alonzo, and I’ve adopted her for some time now. Her channel began out together with her making movies about her anti-MLM (multi-level advertising) stance, and the way these MLM firms are all about cash, however hardly ever about high quality merchandise or taking good care of the individuals who really pour their lives into promoting these merchandise. I’ve by no means been into MLMs myself, however I discovered the content material fascinating as a result of I see so many influencers signing up and utilizing their social media accounts to promote these merchandise. It was fascinating to get a peek into the businesses and the way they really function from her perspective and the views of the individuals who write to her and share their experiences.

However then, along with the anti-MLM content material, Hannah began doing a collection on Influencer Madness. That content material actually me as a result of it’s one thing that I’ve gotten actually pissed off with myself, and I’ve even written about it right here on my weblog at the very least as soon as prior to now. In actual fact, simply on the finish of final 12 months, I wrote a submit about how the world of “influencers” has triggered me to not imagine anybody who’s making an attempt to promote me stuff as a result of evidently it’s all about how a lot product they will promote and the way a lot cash they will make, and so lots of them will hawk merchandise which are poor high quality if it could make them a buck.

What I hadn’t realized (as a result of I sort of stay in my very own little bubble and don’t spend a lot time on TikTok or Instagram) is simply how insane so many of those “influencers” have turn into. The craziest stuff appears to be on TikTok, and that’s not likely my world. However I’m telling you that I wouldn’t belief a single particular person making an attempt to promote me stuff on TikTok after I’ve gone down this rabbit gap.

Anyway, after watching a number of of Hannah’s Influencer Madness movies, YouTube began suggesting different channels and movies on the identical matter since that’s how the algorithm works. And that’s after I got here throughout Kiki Chanel. Her channel covers the identical matters — anti-MLM and the insane world of social media influencers. I critically can’t get sufficient of those movies, and I hearken to/watch them in full disbelief of what this world of “influencing” has turn into.

The underside line is that it has led to an insane quantity of overconsumption only for the aim of content material creation. If you would like a glimpse into this world, Hannah’s Influencer Madness Episode 14, titled “TikTok’s Magnificence Overconsumption Disaster Is Out Of Management” is an effective place to start out. I imply, simply check out this particular person’s skincare assortment…

It’s simply drawers and drawers and drawers full of skincare merchandise. How can one particular person use all of that? It’s a must to use one product for at the very least a couple of weeks to see if it really works for you, so there’s no method an individual may use all of that and provides an sincere overview of the product. And but, she’s a skincare product content material creator making an attempt to advertise these merchandise to different individuals in order that she will be able to generate profits off of the gross sales. That is actually insane. And simply the sheer amount of cash being spent on these merchandise that every one have expiration dates is loopy to me! A lot of that may essentially find yourself within the trash as a result of they’ll expire lengthy earlier than she will be able to use them.

Right here’s one other screenshot of an individual with a “skincare room” full of merchandise. I imply, simply have a look at all of those merchandise! How on this planet may you are taking a suggestion critically from an individual who clearly doesn’t use any of those merchandise lengthy sufficient to know in the event that they’re efficient? And who on this planet wants a ROOM devoted to skincare merchandise? That is simply consumption for the sake of content material creation and promoting merchandise.

And right here’s another screenshot from that video of an individual who unboxed over 40 model new razors and put them on her bathe wall. Why on this planet does anybody want a “razor assortment”? Who’s shopping for 40 razors in a single buy? Content material creators, in fact! And who’s benefiting from this content material?

Kiki did a video on the subject as effectively, and right here’s a screenshot from a girl who has a complete closet, plus a part of her front room, devoted to storing her bathe merchandise. And once more, that is all for content material creation and promoting merchandise. She’s going to by no means be capable to use all of those merchandise!

It’s all simply overconsumption for the sake of content material creation and promoting merchandise. It has actually reached the purpose of madness. And the issue is that many of those content material creators have tens of millions of followers, in order that they’re being fed these overconsumption movies as their common social media food plan, and watching overconsumption breeds a need for overconsumption.

And simply to indicate you that it’s essential to be suspicious of actually ALL influencers, let me inform you actually shortly about one loopy story. I don’t bear in mind the title of this specific influencer, however she as a result of extremely popular within the well being and wellness on-line area as a result of she shared her personal weight reduction journey after having youngsters. She needed to lose the infant weight, so she actually received critical about food plan and train and shared her consuming and train plan together with her followers. And since she appeared so real and was having nice success, she had an enormous on-line following.

Then she began promoting her food plan and train plan in order that others may observe her plan and presumably have the identical profitable outcomes that she had. And she or he made a large amount of cash promoting these plans. I feel there was the choice of a one-time buy of a plan, or you could possibly be a part of a month-to-month teaching sort of program. Anyway, she was making a ton of cash off promoting her plan.

Effectively, come to search out out, she was not solely utilizing her food plan and train plan, however she was additionally utilizing a GLP-1, like Ozempic. And she or he by no means felt the necessity to share that essential data together with her followers till she had been on a GLP-1 for A YEAR. So whereas she was promoting her food plan and train program to individuals who desperately needed and hoped to have the identical success that she had had with this program, she felt prefer it was completely high quality to make all of this cash off of individuals whereas failing to say that she had a secret instrument in her personal life to assist her lose the burden.

And the loopy factor is that when she lastly made a video sharing that she had been on a GLP-1 for a 12 months, she nonetheless didn’t appear to grasp that what she had carried out was fully shady and dishonest. She really didn’t perceive why individuals had been so offended. I imply, it’s like a few of these individuals do not need a conscience in any respect. They may do no matter they should do to promote you merchandise in order that they will generate profits off of you, and to heck with honesty and ethics. It simply blows my thoughts. Kiki did a video about this lady, and you may see that right here.

In order that has been my responsible pleasure these days. 😀 I simply can’t get sufficient of seeing how insane the entire world of “influencing” has turn into. I actually hope that Hannah’s and Kiki’s channels and movies might be a giant a part of bringing this complete “influencer” tradition to an finish. However within the meantime, I’m going to indulge on this responsible pleasure of mine and watch each video they put out on the subject as a result of it’s all very entertaining, even when it’s so maddening.

And I’ve another suggestion. As I used to be happening this complete rabbit gap of social media influencer madness, the YouTube algorithm additionally introduced me one other video about this lady named Elizabeth Teckenbrock who gained a giant following on TikTok and uncovered her abusive ex-husband. Initially, everybody who heard her story rallied round her and supported her. After which the reality was uncovered. She was (and nonetheless is) a con artist who had lied greater than as soon as about having most cancers, had arrange a fraudulent charity, had deceived and manipulated individuals repeatedly, and had scammed one man particularly out of one million {dollars} together with her claims of getting most cancers and different well being points.

There’s a podcast about her known as eLIESabeth, and I binged the entire thing in two days. Whereas I used to be constructing and upholstering the bottom of our mattress, that is what I used to be listening to. Yow will discover the podcast right here.

So watch out on the market, y’all. 😀 Don’t fall into the lure of those influencers and scammers.