What's The Point of Influencers Selling Fake Lifestyles?

 “What is even my life?”

Yes, please tell us all what exactly your life is like? Is it waking up at 5am to have a glass of water with outrageously expensive ingredients you’ve never even heard of?

 But the influencer swears that’s how they get glowing skin and the energy to party until 2am, so it must be true, right? 

Then off they go to sit in front of a laptop and type. Looks really important based on how focused they are. Soon enough, they enter the bathroom where they make the most of their videos. It’s time to ‘GET READY WITH ME!’

They will show all their favorite makeup products that they promise do wonders for your skin. In minutes, they are ready to go to a party. Their skin looks flawless. The cosmetics they used must be affordable and easy to apply, right?

The influencer gets into an expensive dress or suit, and off they go to conquer the world. 

But…it’s only noon. Where are they going dressed up like they are going to a nightclub?

Nevertheless, you are enchanted by their lifestyle. They look so busy, and organized, and so socially active. Not to mention, they have a big group of friends. The friends seem familiar. Perhaps you saw them in some other short?

The influencer returns home, still looking flawless. As if they never left home in the first place. The curtains are drawn, so you’re not sure if it is actually dark. 

The next morning, they get up even earlier. Their family is coming over, and they are going to cook the most delicious and elaborate meal ever. But first, time to clean the house. 

They are vacuuming, but only in one spot, and not even properly. It’s almost as if they have never used this home appliance before. They are also running about with a pristine mop and bucket. It’s so clean, as if it were just bought from the store. 

The family comes over. They are all smiles and hugging the influencer. Aww. We witness a sweet moment where each family member loves them so much. Even that one cousin who is so distant, the influencer had to learn to pronounce their name. 

The post has a warm caption: I love my family. They are my whole world. 

Then, for the next ten months, we never got to see them again in any of the posts. When the holidays roll by, and the family is invited again, the distant cousin is not present. In fact, the cousin is never mentioned again. 

But the cousin did start their own channel, so you can follow their adventures. 

What we like is consistency, humor, growth, and a story that gives us hope that we, too, can taste success if we put in the hard work. The influencer did it after all, and so can we. 

The influencer used to be an awkward teenager with bushy hair, braces, glasses, and a total nerd. But it just so happens that they live in big houses, managed to graduate at the top of the class, and oh yes, could afford all the cosmetic surgery in the world. Not that they did. It’s all natural. The most they did was start using this new makeup brand that just came out last month. 

Most influencers who manage to accumulate thousands of followers come from wealthy backgrounds. The biggest giveaway is their apartments in expensive cities, or their mansions with swimming pools, where they record most of their shots. 

They usually come with a team: writers, researchers, stylists, and a camera and lighting crew. Their friends are collaborators. Each of them has its own channel. They get more subscribers, and the influencer gets to brag about having a large group of friends. 

The friends disappear after their respective channels take off. The influencer finds others who are eager to start their own channels. There is PR involved, reaching out to brands, getting free products, and advertising them to show their audience that a big brand thought they were worth investing in. 

Once they see their traffic dropping, a post about something tragic comes along. It’s a four-part video. The first part is the hook, posting something vague to get people curious. They are sans makeup and wearing normal clothes. 

The next video is when they finally decided what the tragedy is. But it is cut short, so you have to watch the third part. The fourth part is the influencer affirming that the audience is her true family and she is doing this all for them. 

The audience is immediately drawn in. Yes, we are family to this influencer. We have watched only two of their shorts, but they called us family! 

So what’s the point of influencers selling fake lifestyles?

The point is entertainment. That’s all it ever was. They perform, we watch, and everyone pretends it’s real because it’s more fun than admitting it’s staged. Movies got boring, TV got safe, and influencers filled the gap with ring lights and delusion. 

And honestly? We keep watching because it’s easier to believe someone else’s perfect life than deal with our own normal one.

Amazon Pick: Ring Light with Clip-On

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