Even the name turns me off: “Influencer.” What makes you so special — you young, inexperienced, full-of-yourselves people who were just clever enough to figure out a way to earn money by convincing a large swath of the public that you had good taste and inside information . . . but not bright enough (or perhaps just too lazy) to carve out a legitimate career and get a real job?

Well, you “influencers” have never influenced me into buying a lot of stuff — much of it junk — that I don’t need and can’t really afford in today’s inflated economy. And you’ve never convinced me that you know what’s best for me, or what will make me happy, or bring fulfillment to my life.

Because I’m older and wiser than you are. I can make my own bad choices without your help, thank you.

And now, at last, I have read that your lot are on the way out . . . and I will sleep better, knowing that fewer vulnerable people will be falling into your web of attraction and deception.

“Rejecting the ‘haul’ culture of excessive shopping and promoting conscious consuming, the de-influencer movement is going mainstream — here’s why” . . . writes Megan Lawton of BBC (January 8, 2025).

That’s right — you are falling under the hammer of the “de-influencer movement,” thanks in large part to people like Diana Wiebe, who, back in 2019, was herself taken in by some useless product that seemed too good to be true . . . and was.

*. *. *

Ms. Wiebe now has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, where her videos ask questions such as, “Did you want that product before it was marketed to you?” And she is just one part of a growing movement that rejects traditional influencer culture, and has more than a billion views (so far) on its #deinfluencing site on TikTok. [BBC, id.]

By sharing messages such as “fast fashion won’t make you stylish,” and “underconsumption is normal consumption,” the de-influencers believe they are helping to turn the tide of the “haul” culture.

Another former victim, Christina Mychaskiw, posts about her experiences on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, hoping to help others avoid “going broke”:

“Back in 2019, I was $120,000 CAD in debt through student loans, and I was still buying week after week. I hit rock bottom when I bought a pair of boots that cost more than my rent, even though I knew I couldn’t afford them.” [Id.]

She hears story after story from people who call in to her podcast, and says that “People don’t see the value in what they’re buying anymore. The promise of these items just isn’t living up to expectations. It feels like everything is getting more and more expensive, but lower quality and less satisfying.” [Id.]

Her advice: “Put the phone down, use what you already have to create fun looks — maybe you’ll realise [sic] what you have is good enough.” [Id.]

*. *. *

I’m not here to offer financial advice, or to tell you how you should live your life. Because those decisions are yours to make. And that is my whole point: Don’t let some stranger influence your decisions. They don’t know you, and they don’t care about you. All they want is to make money off of your unwise choices.

And if you’re one of those particularly soft-hearted people who will now start to worry that all of those influencers are going to be out of work . . . well, don’t. There are plenty of companies out there that are losing employees and looking for new hires. The out-of-work hucksters could become baristas at Starbuck’s, drivers for Amazon, or White House interns for the new administration in Washington (pretty much a revolving-door job). Not as much fun as virtual shopping, perhaps . . . but honest work.

Honest work??!!!

Now, there’s a concept that could use promoting.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/11/25