Today, social media and scrolling have become too common in everyday life. With this comes one-way conversations, as influencers, people we not only hear but see every detail of their lives, dominate people’s feeds. 

Influencers can affect what people believe and the products they are influenced to buy. A study done by Pew Research shows that 54% of people aged 18-29 say that influencers do have an impact on things they purchase. 

“I have bought something before because an influencer posted about it on social media,” said sophomore Harley Cameron. “However, the product looked amazing in their video, but when it arrived, it was low quality and nothing like what they showed, which made it seem like I got tricked just so they could make money.”

Another aspect of life that influencers can affect is people’s mental and emotional being. Online influencers focus on portraying the best and most organized parts of their lives. This can lead average people to find themselves unworthy and not good enough, impacting their self-esteem. 

If influencers have so much power over us mentally and ideologically, then why do we continue to watch them? 

When people’s lives are a mess and unorganized, seeing an influencer’s routine provides a temporary dopamine boost, leaving us seeking more. Realizing and returning back to reality, even for the influencer, can be a huge let down that really impacts people’s minds.

“When people have big platforms, it’s easy to forget that they are just regular people, just like us,” said band teacher Anisha Lewis. “Ultimately, I think it’s our responsibility to be disciplined when watching influencers on social media, but it is hard.”