Authenticity In Influencer Culture

In today’s society due to the technological advancements social media has
become all the more popular and commonly used. Consequently, by just scrolling
countless influencers emerge and everyone gets a glimpse of their seemingly
perfect lives, slowly blurring the line between reality and an illusion. Influencers
present an image of success, beauty and lavish living, but is everything actually
true or is the biggest part just carefully curated for an audience? As influencers
continue to rise in popularity, many other questions about the truth behind those
crafted posts have started to become a topic of conversation everywhere. So are
these digital personas genuine reflections of their lives or just the surface of a
complex reality? In this article we will delve deeper into the lives of influencers
and what goes on when the cameras are turned off as well as what impacts such
content has.
The Illusion of perfection on social media
First and foremost, popular social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or
Youtube often use highlights or reels of influencers’ lives giving emphasis on their
successful and luxurious lives. However, the content that is usually shown is
carefully curated, filtered and staged just to portray an ideal version of life, failing
to show the much more mundane and boring parts of everyday life. Additionally,
a recurring pattern is the constant sharing of travel and beauty content, as well
as achievements and never or rarely the depiction of struggles making the world
have a skewed or incorrect perception of their lives. Not only that but the
comparison of an average person’s life to that of an influencer’s is all the more
frequent after the skyrocketing of the so-called ”aspirational” lifestyle which is
being promoted, has led to feelings of jealousy or inadequacy.
The pressure to maintain a prefect persona
Another point worth mentioning is that influencers face immense pressure
everyday to maintain the perfect online persona they created, considering they
are usually tied to sponsorships and brand partnerships. Consequently the need
for constant content creation and engagement, has led to influencers usually
being caught in a cycle of maintenance of the flawless image they have created
just to stay relevant. In addition to that the majority of influencers have admitted
to feeling that they have to present that ideal lifestyle even if it is not a true
reflection of their feelings or experiences in fear of losing brand deals which are

tied with their income. This pressure is known to lead to something called
”performative authenticity”, which entails a post that is seemingly true with the
influencer sharing their emotions and valuable moments while still being within a
well-managed image.
The business of influencing
So what is the actual business of influencing and what hides behind this content?
Well, what appears to be a carefree and glamorous lifestyle often is a coverup for
the business behind influencing, meaning negotiations with brands or content
planning and of course the extensive editing of such content. Influencers do not
just simply live their lives, instead they can be inferred to as brand ambassadors,
sponsoring brands that align with their supposed ”lifestyle”. Much of the reality
that the followers or the audience see is once again for the relevance of the
creator which is usually shaped by the collaborations they do so as to keep up
with the fast changing trends. Also the content that is posted, the majority of the
time goes through a whole team of people, usually consisting but not limited to,
editors, photographers and agents who help influencers craft their online
persona.
The impact of filtered realities on mental health
The constant exposure of idealized versions of others’ lives to individuals or even
influencers themselves can cause some serious mental health issues such as
anxiety, depression and most commonly body image issues. Influencers almost
never actually openly discuss their mental health and struggles and those who do
are usually framed within the context of a partnership. In addition to that, the
pressure to keep up appearances usually takes a toll on influencers’ well-being,
since they have created the need to constantly meet unrealistic standards which
they have set for themselves. Last but not least the continuous misleading image
of such lives of influencers create mistrust between them and their followers
making the uncovering of what goes on when cameras are off, all the more eye
opening for the audience.