Let's Stop Being Influenced

In 2023, we live in an era where everything you like or everything you own, you probably have been INFLUENCED. This is the era of the influencers. I mean, there is hardly an escape from being influenced by some micro-celebrity Instagram or TikTok. It is inevitable at this point when we use multiple social media platforms which are supposed to be entertaining but often they are just money-making machines for big brands and celebs. ''What am I eating in a day?'', ''Outfit of the day'', ''Let's get ready with me.'', actually let's not. Why? Almost all of the recommended products are pretty average but these so-called aesthetics consume all of us. People literally buy the product not because of its supernatural powers of making your skin glow in an I-wake-up-like-this/clean-girl/Hailey-Bieber kind of way, but because the packaging is cute and fits their ''aesthetic''. Do not get me wrong, I'm all in for women having fun and being able to do whatever they want to, buy whatever want to do. My only problem is that there is everyone is so obsessed with fitting in with a specific aesthetic and easily tend to buy whatever they see on reels that they spend their money on absolutely crappy products. And these influencers on social media are the backbone of this madness. I am not blaming anyone for doing their job, again, I think it is amazing that now women's opinions are heard and cared for by a community. I think this is great. I just that most of these influencers do not even care about what they endorse. Yeah, it is business but just do not go try to sell a product that you would not even put on your newly chemically peeled, facelift, fresh out off the botox doctor's, photorejuvenationed, or whatever the crazy procedures there are on earth done face. However, is this only the influencers' fault? Are they the only contributors to this consumption pandemic? NO. Nowadays it is trendy to be in a community or put labels on ourselves just to feel like we belong. Even though I perfectly get why people need to rely on labels, it is actually an identity crisis under the disguise of belonging. Lately on TikTok ''strawberry-girl summer'' was trending thanks to Hailey Bieber. So how ''strawberry girl'' trend start? Earlier this month she uploaded her pinky and fruit-inspired makeup look hence the the term ''strawberry girl makeup'' emerged. It INFLUENCED over 23 million people on TikTok. And just last week she wore a red monochromatic look while promoting her new Rhode skincare product, a berry red gloss inspired by strawberry donuts.

I mean this is fun but are those people so easily inspired by the most basic things and start being obsessed with it that they feel the need to name it on a particular thing and label themselves under those ridiculous aesthetics? I mean the most basic things are turned into something big so that people will feel the need to fit in with a particular thing. And guess what, this is only beneficial for brands to make even more money. Even better, these are just waves, they are unsustainable and it is for sure that they will exchange with something else in just a moment. The producers and owners are at the top of the pyramid, all of the influencers are just their pawns to play the game in the most efficient way possible. This is just the way it goes, this is the way things have done since the birth of capitalism. However, now it is at its peak of capitalizing thanks to the combination of easily influenced, obsessed with the aesthetic crowd and the micro-celebs who literally can influence millions of people with just one click. All of this makes me wonder what will happen from years from now on. According to Zerowaste, beauty packaging alone amounts to 120 billion units each year. It is the source of irreversible damage and pollution. So if everyone goes on buying 20 different useless serums by some celebrity skincare line or another pointless makeup product that every time they are *accidentally* INFLUENCED, what will the outcome be of all this consumption madness in the year 2050? I mean this generation's kids or grandkids surely won't care about what fruit girl you were in 2023 when they are too busy to curse our generation for climate change and pollution. So I say, let's stop being influenced right away. Let's research and prioritize what really matters and what we need. Trust me, you do not need a 25-step skincare routine unless you are a fictional high school girl character in Euphoria or an American Psycho or just a psycho in general. However, do not trust anyone who says that you don't need sunscreen because you do. Don't forget to reapply every 2 hours a day.