Cover Is de-influencing really about putting a stop to overconsumption or is it a new way to build trust among followers? (Photo: Getty Images)
Is de-influencing really about putting a stop to overconsumption or is it a new way to build trust among followers? (Photo: Getty Images)
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Are the days of influencers telling us what to buy, wear and watch coming to an end? Find out why online personalities may need new strategies to keep their digital presences alive
Times are tough for influencers, with some being investigated for their participation in scams and others being scrutinised for various wrongdoings. And that’s not all. Over on TikTok, we’re seeing a plethora of videos encouraging consumers to think twice before buying certain influencer-recommended products. Is this the new era of the de-influencer?
Since the beginning of the year, the TikTok community, and more particularly Generation Z, has been indicating that they’re fed up with influencers, a communal sentiment that has given rise to the hashtag “de-influencing”.
This term currently totals more than 150 million views on the platform. It’s proving particularly popular in the beauty and lifestyle communities, where it reportedly got its start.
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Influencers are known to have great sway on the buying decisions of their community of followers. According to a 2020 study by market research company Kantar—relayed by Marketing Dive—more than a quarter of the general population has made a purchase based on a recommendation from an influencer. For Gen Z, this rate rises to 44%.
But lately their power seems to be under threat. Their followers are now more aware of influencers’ marketing strategies. Better informed, they are becoming increasingly vocal about taking steps to no longer be duped. A new wave of videos on TikTok criticises influencers. These videos take the form of content creators, or “ordinary users”, who set out to reveal the truth about the products that influencers want us to buy.
They urge users to carefully consider their purchases and even to refrain from buying and save their money. Their aim is to help other users not fall for a scam or an over-hyped product. These videos have given rise to the term “de-influence”.
Tackling compulsive shopping
In a series of videos, TikToker Michelleskildelsky, a self-described former compulsive shopper, lists some of the “useless” products that influencers recommend acquiring: Apple AirPods Max, 25 different perfumes, Ugg slippers, a multitude of beauty products, and so on.
Her videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. In the comments section, some users suggest cheaper alternatives, while others recognise that they have been guilty of falling for such unnecessary purchases.
There are many videos in this vein. Some people even make a project out of buying products recommended by influencers and setting out to critique them and deconstruct their lack of utility.
For Kahlea Nicole Wade, a brand collaboration coach and content creator, de-influencing is about trust and reclaiming their power, especially for Gen Z, she told Today.
And indeed in certain recent well-publicised cases, some influencers have been called out for being untrustworthy, such as the “MascaraGate” incident involving an influencer being accused of wearing false eyelashes while promoting the virtues of a mascara from L’Oreal.
“We’re not our followers’ parents”
In response to such critique, some influencers are calling for everyone to take responsibility for themselves and their purchases. France-based influencer Coline, who counts nearly 400,000 followers on her Instagram page, is among them. “At what point did we [influencers] take social network users for idiots, telling them ‘do this,’ ‘don’t do this’?”, she posits in a dumbfounded tone in one of her recent videos.
She continues by arguing that followers are all responsible for their own purchasing decisions, and that influencers are “strangers” who recommend products so people need to make up their own minds and take their own needs and tastes into account when buying something. She also decries a lack of guidance and responsibility taken by parents of teens.
“Teenagers who have social networks have parents—that’s not our area of responsibility either.” She urges her fellow influencers to emphasise free will in their communities instead of dictating purchases. “As influencers, we owe you our followers respect, transparency and honesty”, she says.
So is de-influencing the new influencing?
Indeed, the subject of free will is key here. Because by reproaching influencers for pushing their followers to overconsume, many of these “de-influencers” are also essentially telling other users what to do—which is also a method of exerting influence.
Some detractors of this new trend on TikTok point out that not all the messages are not necessarily aimed at reducing users’ consumption generally. Some de-influencers criticise overhyped things and encourage their followers to buy cheaper ones.
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