Most Influencers Are Faking It

I wanted to write this post to get it off my chest and to help those who maybe don't get it yet, but honestly... I don't think this fact is a secret at all. Most influencers are faking it.

The Not-So-Secret of Influencers

I'll start by saying this isn't attacking any one style of influencer, and this post is not to really "bash" on them either. Hey... get the money to live your life, no shade for that in my opinion. It is important to remember that influencers are YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and any other online platform are just a part of the new media. Decades ago it was actors and actresses on TV and radio, now it's influencers are social media. In other words... it's their job.

As I said, the fact that influencers are faking it isn't even a secret. Nearly everyone knows that by now. Yet, we keep watching their content. Why is that? Well, we know they are faking it and putting shine to it all, but again, it's media. We watch for the entertainment. We watch for insights and to help us answer a question. Maybe they are telling the whole truth, maybe they aren't. Like any other media, as a consumer of that media, we have to decide what to believe and what to follow.

The "Fake It Till You Make It" Factor of it All

Remember that a lot of the influencers are in the "fake it till you make it" stage of their online career. They are faking it because they are trying to put forth to the viewers and the world, the very life they are hoping their content will give them. Don't forget...again... it is their job. They are doing it for the dream. They are doing it for the internet fame (most but not all). Above all else, though, they are doing it for the money. They chose this as a career path to follow, just like any other career that you chose. Similarly, just like your career field, and everyone else's... some make it and some don't.

The anger from the audience and the viewers usually comes with one or more of them starts saying that the content creator or influencer is basically lying to their audience. Well, some are and most aren't. When an influencer promotes a product and talks about how much they love it, but has never actually tried it, yeah that's lying. When a vlogger shows themselves going to an event or some fancy place that they had to bend over backwards to get into, that's not lying. It may not be their actual lifestyle, and they may even be trying to portray their life as being fancy, easy, pleasant, or any number of other things when its not. So what? That's not lying. That is literally the visual representation of the concept of "fake till you make it." They are showing and doing in a way that may create the lifestyle being shown. That's not a crime. That's not even truly dishonest.

Run Away Influencers

Have you noticed that most of the really huge and successful influencers from a decade or more ago...have all vanished from the internet? Yes, some are still around, but most of the really huge ones either entirely vanished, or have greatly reduced how often they upload content or make appearances. Why?

Well, like any other industry, at some point people have to retire. Simple as that really. However, another big reason is because the smart ones used their time being huge as influencers and turned it into other sources of income. They did that because they knew the end was inevitable. Of course, it would be lacking if we didn't also mention that some influencers simply stopped being relevant to more modern times and decided that it wasn't worth trying to adapt. Some likely couldn't adapt due to the nature of their content, the policy and rule changes on platforms, and any number of hundreds of other reasons.

Quick Conclusion

Yes, influencers are faking it. Yes, we know that already. However, keep in mind that it isn't as sinister as a lot of people make it out to be. Are there some influencers who are evil, lying, toxic? Yes, you'll find that anywhere at any time. The influencers who think they are entitled to something... they have dug their own career graves. Most are just trying to make a living and doing it by faking it until they make it.. just like so many others have done. They aren't bad people, they are just following an industry model that has worked for so many others.