Influencer Culture and ‘Quitting Your 9-5’
Image Courtesy: YouTube
“I wish I was an influencer,” my friend wrote to me in a DM, followed by a video of yet another pretty, polished everygirl doing an unboxing of merchandise she had been sent from brands like Madhappy and LoveShackFancy. Sometimes I find myself wishing that my only obligations were feed posts, brand deals, and essentially making a living off being myself. But it is so important to realize that this ideal is precisely that: an ideal. Even the influencers don’t live the lives that many think they are. With that said, there are some important distinctions to be made about certain narratives they push or prescribe that can be harmful to someone who watches their content religiously.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, social media exists as a highlight reel. The tendency to compare yourself to others is hard to avoid, especially when these influencers could be your peers. By pulling you in with their surface-level relatability, you fall into the trap of wondering why you didn’t have three different 21st birthday celebrations a la Hannah Meloche or can’t fly wherever you want simply because you’re tired of the place you’re at. While I don’t think that some of our favorite online personalities are ever lying or exaggerating about feeling stuck, sad, alone, or lost, I do believe they have the means to cope with those feelings in a very public and flashy way. This can lead to dissatisfaction with oneself and those same feelings and the truly wrong notion that ‘if I just had ‘x’, I wouldn’t be struggling with ‘y’.’
Image Courtesy: NEW BEAUTY
As if lavish trips and matching sweat sets aren’t enough, influencers also have the luxury of being able to take a break from that life if they want to. YouTuber turned entrepreneur Emma Chamberlain has recently garnered some negative attention and discourse from fans for urging listeners of her podcast to ‘just take a break’ if they’re not feeling it. She stresses the importance of travel, vacation, and time offline, but fails to consider that many of her listeners don’t have the means to take off work for two weeks or completely unplug as she does. Her advice, which I’d argue is what got her a platform, becomes increasingly more out of touch. Not because she doesn’t truly care about her fans or their mental health, but because her lifestyle went from after-school coffee runs to attending the Met Gala in just four short years.
Image Courtesy: Heat World
My point in writing this article and using these specific examples is to say that I view influencers as a gray area. Words cannot express how much I enjoy sitting down with my dinner to watch Ava Jules' vlogs. Nor can I define the affirmation felt with my mental health when an influencer who seems to have it all admits that she struggles, too. However, at multiple points, I've taken a step back to unplug (thank you, Ms. Chamberlain) from my comfort influencers. It was for my own sake, really. Doing so allowed me to tend to my everyday tasks such as my part-time job, midterms, and the ups and downs of life. I think to call influencers or what they do ‘toxic’ is incredibly strong, but it can be unhealthy to see and consume their content daily as their lives are not sustainable for very many people but them. While I may never be able to quit my 9-5, I’ll continue to take the advice that my favorites give when it does apply to me and appreciate their content for what it is.
Strike Out,
Writer: Addy Crosby
Editors: Karina McCarthy & Lexi Fernandez
Strike Magazine Tallahassee