The Problem With Instagram And Influencers

I have made it no secret that I don't like Instagram. It has nothing to do with their ever changing algorithm or engagement. I could care less about that. It does have everything to do with the platform's failure to protect the privacy of it's users and the types of people it has created. The people I'm referring to are the influencers. I've never cared or paid much attention to Instagram influencers. In fact if there is something that they're all posting about, it usually gives me pause for suspicion since I'm aware of the monetization game and I know there is nothing genuine to back it up. It's something I usually just ignore but a recent series of atrocious behavior has been alarming to say the least because we're talking about crossing the lines of basic decency to outright grifting. What made me snap was all the influencers who thought it would be cool to "honor" the anniversary of 9/11 with posts promoting themselves and whatever product they were currently shilling. This is a day of immense tragedy and one that I still have a hard time with every year. The normal human thing to do would be to show support and respect if you're going to acknowledge it. But it would really be better and more appropriate not to reference the anniversary at all than to reduce it to a hashtag and use it for personal gain and self promotion. Some of these people took down their hashtags and/or posts after being criticized. But they never should have put them up in the first place. There was even one influencer who felt she was being unfairly called by haters who disagreed with her and were too opinionated. Like WTF!

Therein lies the real problem with these influencers. A lack of integrity, ethics, shame and basic decency. And this is something that has been perpetuated from Instagram, a veritable paradise for narcissists and anyone thirsting for attention. It's incredibly toxic to gain validation and live for likes in this manner but it's a thing now and these people are going to ride it out for as long as they can because it's better than getting a real job. Lately the bubble might've start to burst a little a backlash and criticism ensued with the influencer who turned her motorcycle accident into an Instagram photoshoot, the one who turned a tribute to her dead grandmother into an ad for a dress to Carolyn Calloway who was caught in a scam promoting workshops that she took money for and never delivered on. It came out that her entire "brand" was built on a scam with her ghostwriter revealing how she purchased followers to fake her popularity in the beginning. The story is actually quite interesting. Calloway actually built herself up through the deceptiveness of brand building. Sticking with the typical aspirational Instagram posts, she made sure to include just enough vulnerability and drama to make herself appear authentic. Calloway got caught because of her greed, ambition and hubris but I have no doubt there are countless influencers who have built themselves up in a similar manner. This type of fakery goes beyond using filters to make yourself look like a different person. Buying fake followers has been used forever and it's not just influencers who do it, celebrities do it as well. This story revealed that the celebs with the most fake followers. 58 percent of Ellen DeGeneres' 74.4 million followers on Instagram are fake bots. Don't let her friendly demeanor fool you, she is a nasty piece of work. It'a actually a common practice amongst celebs to enlist bots to follow their accounts to boost their follower counts and their value as influencers.

Don't even get me started on celebrities getting in on the spon con action like that actress with the never ending sponsored wedding.  Like most of them need more money. And then there are those who monetize their children which is deplorable. It's one thing if you choose to sell out but young kids don't have a choice and this raises all sorts of red flags and issues. Perhaps the ones that fascinate me the most are the wannabes on the bubble who act like they are like legends in their own minds and basically imitate everything that bigger influencers do. There is no originality or authenticity but the greed and entitlement is abundant. Quite the opposite of aspirational.  I guess the one thing I can respect is their hustle because these people never seem to rest but the life of an influencer is also rather trivial and meaningless. After all these people are doing nothing more than documenting themselves living.  I'm guessing there are some that aren't out there that aren't all about being sponsored but I'd be hard pressed to name one. I'm probably going to get called a jealous hater but this is just how I feel. I always say that if it weren't for this blog, I probably wouldn't even be on social media. I happen to really value my privacy as well as living life on my own terms. For the record I'm all for Instagram removing likes.

What are your thoughts?