Influencers Spreading The Wrong Message?
Social media has overpowered most of our lives, especially amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it seems to have surged even higher. With teenagers, parents, youths, etc. spending more time on social media, are we aware of the content we or our kids' intake?
This might not be news to some but social media increases our anxiety one way or another. We see perfect bodies of models, influencers, celebrities, etc. who pose and show us their very perfect lives. Especially celebrities and influencers who post actively at least 3–4 times a day. They do not shy away from showing off everything they have got (literally in all sense).
With them, showcasing how perfect their bodies are, how clear their skin is, and how beautiful they look even without makeup at home, during quarantine, creates a sense of jealousy, anxiety, and sometimes depression. Why? Because not everybody is as privileged as the next person they admire. I mean don’t get us wrong, those influencers and celebrities might have worked hard to earn as much as they do. Maybe they even deserve all of it. But are they thinking about their audience?
In most cases, no. They are not. Why will they want to feel sorry for someone who cannot afford the things they have? They are living their lives and using all their passion and money into showing you how absolutely perfect everything is. However, teenagers and youths who watch them do not feel relatable at all.
Influencers tend to have the body that we need, the makeup that we need, the skin, the clothes, etc. People feel bad about their lives when they see the lives of people they admire or like. This creates a sense of jealousy in our souls which wants all the things they have. And it makes you think maybe if you had the money, you would be looking that great too. If you are looking to feeling peace and consuming content that does not increase your anxiety or jealousy, then read on.
So what can we do or rather what can influencers and celebrities do? Rather than depicting how perfect their lives are all the time, they can show us their vulnerable side. They can show us that they get pimples too or they are not that perfect all the time. If they think about their audience, most of them are teenagers and not all of them have the amount of privilege to show off but would wish they had.
This can also turn a person toxic as they create hatred in their minds to not feel bad about their own lives. People then start hating all the influencers who have money and are showing it off. What we can and should do is to unfollow or block these people from our accounts. We will not see them and be saved of all the energy we put in while stalking them, hate them, or even wishing we had what they have.
Instead, follow celebrities or influencers who show their real bodies, face, skin, etc. You will relate more to these beautiful people who embrace their insecurities and make you think you are not alone. Influencers without filters are what we need in our lives.
For example, Selena Gomez is one of the few celebrities who have openly shown her scars which she was covering a year ago as she designed clothes specifically to hide her insecurity. She literally has a brand called Rare Beauty and an album called Rare. The actress and singer think the word itself eliminates the feeling of being like someone else because everyone is unique.
Ashley Graham, Chrissy Teigen are some of the other celebrities who are not here for validation. They showcase their bodies, skin, and any insecurity that they have with their fans. These are few examples of the people we should be looking up to.
As for us, we should know how beautiful we are even without all that money, body, etc. That is actually a long process and not that easy. However, this can be a step forward to taking care of yourself.
