Why do you follow influencers on Instagram? For me, it’s because I like to see their perfectly curated snaps show up in my feed. I like to go on their daily journey with them as they prepare their aesthetically pleasing meals, open the glorious gifts they receive from brands and attend fabulous events. And, in some cases, because they offer interesting life advice and sage wisdom that brightens my day.
But while I’m totally here for influencers spreading mantras like “You do you!” and “Be kind!”, I’m not here for unqualified people with large followings spreading health and fitness advice with absolutely no qualifications.
I’m particularly not here for them spreading dangerous information and serving it up to their followers as gospel and I’ve gotta say, COVID has really brought out the worst in humanity, including influencers.
I’ve had to smash the unfollow button on several influencers who I’ve loved and supported for years after they’ve shamelessly outed themselves as anti-vaxxers and COVID conspiracy theorists.
This has happened a few times since COVID started, but there was one Saturday a coupla months back in particular that sticks out in my mind.
I was watching this Byron influencer who I’ve followed for ages begin his day, as I always do.
He started with his meditation, brewed his organic coffee, minced through his lush garden in linen waistband pants, then he started painting. But as the Instagram Stories progressed, I noticed that what he was painting was a bunch of signs. What were the signs for, you ask? Welp, it turned he was leading an anti-vaxxer rally.
I watched in abject horror as the influencer who I’d adored for years traipsed through his town, with his wife and young baby in tow, alongside a bunch of other people, not a mask in sight, telling both locals and his thousands of followers that the vaccine will kill you.
The fact that I’d contributed to this man’s engagement by following him and liking his content made me feel ill.
Then over the weekend, as the anti-lockdown protests were happening, another Byron influencer, Sally Mustang, shared a post encouraging her followers to push back on the COVID safety laws.
Reading the now-infamous line “Remember science is a THEORY, just like magic” made me feel like a goddamn moron for following this person for so long.
The ignorance, the privilege, the PROPAGANDA.
Anyway, I guess the point of this whole article is to say that if you’ve seen celebs and influencers that you’ve followed post dangerous COVID rhetoric, anti-vaxxer bullshit, or health advice when they have no qualifications whatsoever, I implore you to unfollow.
Remember, us following these influencers helps them, career-wise. These people don’t deserve our support. They’re sure as shit not supporting us by spreading unsafe advice.
