The impact of Social Media Influencers on Our Mental Health

Today, where social media consumption has skyrocketed, influencers have become powerful figures capable of shaping and imposing lifestyle habits, opinions, and trends. The widespread use of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube has given these individuals unprecedented reach and influence over their followers. While a small portion of their impact may be positive, they also present potential risks.

Before delving into the multifaceted effects of social media influencers on mental health, it is important to understand who these influencers are and what they do. Influencers are people who have a large social media following and possess the power to sway the decisions of their followers due to their perceived expertise or appeal in particular fields, such as skincare, yoga, diet, and more. These influencers have adeptly harnessed the dynamics of social media, utilizing engaging content and personal branding to build trust and loyalty among their audiences. Companies often target these influencers to promote their products, recognizing the significant impact they can have on consumer behavior and preferences.

While bribing people into a thought is not bad it also does not help do justice to consumers’ mental health.

Some positives of influencer culture:

Brand growth: Influencers are often approached by companies to help promote their products. Influencers are pros when it comes to creating aesthetically appealing content and are often well versed about what their consumers are interested in. Influencers are also intimately knowledgeable about their viewer’s preferences. As a result, they frequently trust influencers' recommendations and are more inclined to make purchases based on them.

Job opportunities: With the onset of influencer marketing, a whole arena of job opportunities has opened up. Public relations specialist, social media manager, talent acquisition manager are a few to name.

Creating visibility: Social media has paved the way for many small businesses who often can’t get a huge marketing team to advertise their products. By leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn they can reach a larger audience through a fraction of the cost.

However, influencers have had a more negative impact on viewer’s mental health.

The idealistic beauty standards portrayed by the influencers and the perfect lifestyles led by them can often foster unrealistic beauty standards among viewers. An average user has a screen time of 6 hours and 58 minutes of screen time every day, which accounts for almost 200 minutes. Out of this, 1 in 3 internet minutes is attributed to social media usage. This constant exposure can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and comparison among individuals to these influencers.

A recent controversy surrounding “Sephora kids” sparked public attention. The hashtag “GRWM” which stands for get ready with me is used under reels and YouTube videos, where influencers share their beauty routines, giving out tips and advice to their fellow subscribers. While some of these videos can be highly instructive, others could be highly consumeristic. The problem begins when young girls are often lured in by these beauty trends when they go online to catch up with their friends. Their algorithm is bombarded with content promoted by these influencers, and they become susceptible to the pressures of consumerism. They end up buying products that contain actives such as glycolic acid and retinol which often results in rashes and breakouts as reported by dermatologists online.

Influencers don’t pertain to just consumerism. They also offer “quick fix” solutions to complex mental health problems.

An influencer promoted shavasana (a yoga posture) helped her improve her symptoms of depression without adding any further disclaimer. One of her followers who had been suffering from depression blindly started following the influencer’s advice for five months. With no significant improvement, she went to a psychiatrist who then explained that though yoga may benefit her condition, it may not cure it as she had a family history of depression. She had to be aided with psychotherapy as well as medications.

This overly flooded misinformation on social media can often delay the necessary medical intervention causing deterioration of the patient’s condition significantly.

In addition to this, influencers are also at potential risk of being affected.

Effects on influencer’s mental health

♦   They are constantly under the pressure to maintain a facade- an ideal and perfect version of themselves.

♦   They are also twice as likely to be victims of cyberbullying than a normal user.

♦   Their revenue often fluctuates depending on the number of promotions they get per month, often resulting in a lack of job security leading to anxiety.

To sum up, influencers and the influencer culture isn’t problematic. As responsible netizens we need to decide what type of content we choose to get influenced by and engaged with. Awareness, mindful engagement and promoting positive online behaviors can help us navigate our way through this culture in a positive way.