<
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250107-why-the-pushback-against-influencers-is-growing>
'In 2019, Diana Wiebe was deep in a social media scroll when she came across an
influencer promoting heatless curling rods. "They were rods you could sleep in
overnight, and the promise was to wake up with beautiful curls," she tells the
BBC.
It was one of many products she was influenced to buy from TikTok, but like
several of the others, including skin creams and facial scrubs, she quickly
realised she didn't need them. "Honestly, the curlers really disrupted my
sleep, and I didn't make it past night one," she says, adding "my hair is
naturally wavy, so I think the curler actually did too much".
Wiebe is part of a movement – growing since 2023 – that rejects traditional
influencer culture, one that has exploded on TikTok, with the hashtag
#deinfluencing racking up more than a billion views.
Along with hashtags like "underconsumption core" and "conscious consumer", they
share key messages, such as "fast fashion won't make you stylish" and
"underconsumption is normal consumption". As we move into 2025, Wiebe believes
the cultural tide is turning and that we've reached "peak influencer".
"Some of the content from influencers is just rage-bait", she says, referencing
the internet tactic of posting content to incite anger and generate views.
"People will do ridiculous things with, like, their water bottles, where
they'll add a snack tray, and then they'll fill it with Taco Bell or
something," she explains, describing the videos where creators showcase their
Stanley Cups fitted with needless accessories.'
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
