Have you scrolled through Instagram or TikTok, minding your business, when an influencer talks about the best product they’ve ever used?
Maybe it’s a skincare line that will “erase hyperpigmentation overnight” or a waist trainer that will “snatch your waist in days with no effort.” They look good, the packaging is cute, and the influencer swears they’ve seen results. So, we tap the link in their bio, add to the cart, and spend our hard-earned money, expecting magic.
Then reality hits. The skincare product burns your face. The waist trainer is cheap and uncomfortable. And that influencer? They’ve already moved on to the next brand deal, never addressing the fact that they sold you a dream that never came true.
When influence doesn’t equal expertise
Social media has made it way too easy for people to pose as experts. Just because someone has a large following doesn’t mean they know what they’re talking about. Yet, influencers constantly push financial advice, health tips, and quick solutions, even with no credentials or real experience in those fields.
Kier Gaines, a popular licensed therapist known for this wholesome content on family and marriage, shared three ideas that people need to consider before taking advice from social media, which I happen to agree with.
- Who are you? Where is the evidence that you’ve implemented the strategies that you’re selling to your audience?
- What is your credential? What’s your experience? Are you formally educated?
- Where are the actionable steps?
The UNESCO study found that 62% of artists asked indicated they don’t check content for veracity before disseminating it to their audience. About one-third of influencers admitted to sharing material without verifying its accuracy if it came from a reliable source, while 37% admitted to confirming information with a fact-checking website before sharing it.
UNESCO warned that “the low prevalence of fact-checking highlights their vulnerability to misinformation, which can have far-reaching consequences for public discourse and trust in media.”
According to Nielsen Scarborough, Black adults are 71% more likely than the general population to buy products endorsed by an influencer.
Be a smart follower
This doesn’t mean all influencers are bad. Some genuinely want to introduce people to good products and opportunities. But if an influencer constantly promotes sponsored content, never discusses a product’s downsides, or only hypes things when there’s a check involved, it’s a red flag.
Influencers are great at selling dreams, but that doesn’t mean we must buy into them. At the end of the day, the real flex is knowing when to call out the cap.
