You really don’t need that Stanley Cup you saw everyone and their mother get for Christmas, I promise your Hydro Flask or any other container to hold liquid will do the trick. Celebrities and influencers have the platform and resources to spread awareness of climate change, however, they not only fail to do so but make matters worse through promotion and social media. Whether we like it or not, figures in the public eye have the ability to influence the world, whether you resent their lifestyle or admire it, it affects society on a much greater level than a lot of people are aware of. But this form of influence has also dwindled down in recent years to a different and much younger audience. These people are still considered public figures, but they are ones who have access to the world’s attention while still being considered a relatable and normal person, this career has been given the very conspicuous title of ‘influencer.’ 

Celebrities are constantly in the media, being followed by paparazzi or just updating their fans using social media making it easy to get an idea of what they are up to. Even if they are discreet in what is shared with the world, people can still find out information about how they spend their money or what they choose to do in their free time. Being in a position where money is no issue, these celebrities have the resources to make a difference with countless issues in the world, a considerable one being climate change. Not only do they have the funds for this, but because of their platform and how many people look up to them, they have the power to influence what people do based on what they are doing, even people who aren’t fans of theirs see their behavior. For instance, celebrities tend a have a very high rate of consumerism. This can be seen with cars, exotic leather bags, and cosmetic products. To have this gratuitous amount of things is redundant and lets the world know that this kind of acquisitiveness is acceptable. It also causes people to pine after this unrealistic lifestyle which is not a useful way to think about how you should live. There is also the case of celebrities who do try and promote environmental issues and show the work they have done or donate to charities, but then you see them jet off in their private planes or have an unnecessarily large house in the Hidden Hills that needs a green lawn. 

Yet, there is this more recent wave of influence that has hit younger generations hard. Ever since the social media app TikTok launched in 2016, there has been a fresh and new way for people to gain views on the internet leading to the idea of being an “influencer,” this especially blew up during the pandemic. TikTok has such an appeal for several reasons; it is very easily accessible, making it have a large range of age groups that use it. Additionally, the videos are anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds long making them effortless to watch and easy to get lost scrolling for hours on end. TikTok has also made it really easy for things to go viral or trend, getting “TikTok famous” is a lot easier than getting traditionally famous these days. People started to share their everyday lives on this app showing what they ate in a day, morning/night routines, makeup, routines, and workout routines and this was a very appealing type of video to watch. This led to microtrends or regular trends becoming widespread because of things these creators would show in their videos, like a certain product or a piece of clothing. Because people could see how they were using them and the results it gave them, it would influence people to buy them. Brands picked up on this and started collabing and working with these influencers to promote their brand and in return, the influencers get paid. A large one right now that is everywhere is influencers having an Amazon Storefront which is where influencers show everything they love from Amazon which ranges from products to clothes to decor and so on, and then they are able to link all these items in a super accessible way and people can buy exactly what they have. This is basically just influencing consumerism and fast fashion two things that are just adding to the planet’s waste problem. Because they have this platform and hold on to society, people trust their opinions on fashion or skincare or whatever it is they post about. When they could be promoting products that are animal cruelty-free, or clothes that are not fast-fashion, and not playing into the microtrends that come up making them look trendy and cute but fastly become out of style and old. 

Focusing on more sustainable ways to influence the world is where this industry needs to move, purchasing clothes that are classic and staple pieces that won’t go out of style in a matter of months, or a product that is made to last and a clean brand is what needs be more of a norm in this community. Fans and followers eat this stuff up, it would be so viable for these creators to do, and way more worth everyone’s money in the long run. And for the person being influenced, before you buy something someone recommended, critically analyze the post and your decision. This can be done by decoding that particular piece of media. So, see what the purpose of the video is, if it is showing products and telling you everything is linked in their Amazon Storefront, then you know they are making a profit by promoting that particular product. And then ask yourself, what the message is intended to mean to that creator’s audience. This will assist in understanding the deeper meaning behind the post and hopefully make you reevaluate decisions and decide if something is actually worth it, even if is minor. And also ask yourself; will I really use this for the rest of my life or at least a large chunk of it? Do I need to spend money on this tool that is supposed to make my jawline sharper? Because a lot of the time the answer is absolutely not and it is all just a money-making ploy and we are the ignorant people who fall for it.