We saw social media “influencers gonewild” where beautiful-ish couch potatoes celebrated their year of fame and followers. In the new world of social media, these influencers gone wild are now celebrities in their own right and have awesome power & access to a very large following. There are times that this power may be abused and a gonewild influencer might perform obnoxious or ill-advised actions, causing public outcry.
Influencers Gonewild: The Ascend to Fame
Today, influencers gone wild are a powerful wave in the world of Marketing & Entertainment as they run an influential background which captures trends and shapes thoughts, behaviors amongst audiences. In the darkest realm of them all, a place I call influencers gonewild is where certain creators putting out content that with clear ulterior motives and reckless or even illegal behavior in some extreme cases. This is behavior that might involve advocating harmful products, to doing risky stunts or sharing following false stories.
We have a new type of celebrity on our hands, coming to us via Instagram and YouTube (and TikTok? Traditional celebrities are people who grew their celeb status after acting on TV, in movies or through music while influencers gone wild grow their social media followings by sharing relatable and interesting content for them to engage with. It can range from fashion & beauty to fitness and lifestyle motivations. The pressure of creating captivating content around the clock can make influencers step out, leading to instances where public figures gonewild as they attract the wrong kind of attention.
The Problem with Gonewild Influencers
The aftermath of influencers gonewild can be damaging, both to the influencers gone wild in question and their devoted followers. The first thing that would come to damage in the long-term is probably their credibility. If followers trust you as an influencer to provide authentic reviews and recommendations, breaking that trust can be a tough repair. This content over time will cause Influencers gonewild to lose followers and other sponsorships because their professional actions prove otherwise.
Not to mention, such gonewild influencers can set a bad example for the people who follow them—especially teens and tweens who seek out those same people they admire as role models. For example, drinking in excess and taking illicit drugs or encouraging damaging attitudes towards body image all can be hugely detrimental to the mental health (and in many cases physical too) of those engaging with said influencers. Influencing is a very powerful thing and when done carelessly, can have some real consequences.
Social Media Platforms play a more varied role
In this culture, social media platforms have a key role to play in the promotion of influencers gonewild. The influencers gone wild perform on these platforms and they have entire control to make sure that no one is breaking the golden rule/s. Meanwhile, enforcement of these rules can err on the side of loosey-gooseyness leaving some influencers gonewild operating with impunity.
Instagram and YouTube (which allow a censoring function via normal community guidelines) have paved the way, but as some of you may know from there own experiences; Censorship is hard to enforce on that many posts in such little time. It generally requires public outrage or media coverage before the platforms will actually do anything about when influencers gone wild. The slow response takes from it the convenience of utility, while also making it possible for any malicious action to disseminate across millions before being stopped.
Social Media platforms also may be risk averse when it comes to influencer gone wild because they generate revenue The big followings of some influencers gone wild deliver significant traffic to these platforms, and they may lose money if their accounts were banned or restricted. This is a conflict of interests — it might be lucrative for the platform to host misleading content, even if that hurts users.
Why Influencers Gonewild is Outstanding in Psychology
But to figure out why influencers gonewild, you need to ask a much broader question: what goes on in the mind of an influencer who experiences sudden fame via social media? In seeking validation, recognition and success, many influencers gone wild find themselves on the path of doing whatever it takes to keep pushing that envelope larger. On the other hand, users crave the dopamine hit they get from likes, shares and comments — which inevitably can spiral influencers into doing increasingly extreme or polarising things to stand out.
The line between the persona they portray online and their actual selves can disappear for some influencers. In an effort to keep up appearances or maintain a brand, influencers gone wild may make reckless choices while chasing success online over one in their own life. Worse, in certain cases this can lead to burnout, mental health issues and eventually we see the rare moments of influencers gone wild where chasing fame results into self harming content.
On top of that, it is no secret social media has turned into a competition and this spirit rubs off on influencers gonewild. In order to set themselves apart from the pack, there may be a temptation for too many influencers to resort at times (but not always) towards amoral or even unethical actions. The pressure to ‘go viral’ or build a large audience is leading influencers gone wild into intoxicating waters in which they might not otherwise swim.
Influencers Gonewild Examples
In the influencer world, there are abounding cases of influencers gonewild that have rocked Twitter trends & ignited a controversy – one tweet at time. Then the story tells of 5 instances in which soocial media fame has gone wrong, to act as cautionary warnings for these searching insta-terror.
A prime example of this behavior occurred when an influencer orchestrated a reckless public prank, effectively causing pandemonium and hysteria among onlookers. The viral prank failed, leading to legal and public relations ramifications. It is a case of influencers gonewild, showcasing how to chase fame can result in others being put into dangers.
Another notable instance is when an influencer promoted a product that was later discovered to be dangerous for consumers. There are few setters, with millions of followers who endorsed the same product without understanding it is safe. That brought the product to attention, and when it later became clear that there are health issues with using said products… The influencer copped all of this backlash from followers which they inevitably will hold an influence responsible for promoting. This influencers gonewild case is relevant in the context of ethical responsibility concerning influencer marketing.
In several cases, some influencers become gonewild at the cost of giving away fake news or unproven information. When applied to things like health or politics it can be dangerous. Influencers gonewild spreading false information can cause public confusion and damage as followers may take action based on the misinformation they receive.
Influencers Are Accountable
In other words, influencers need to act responsibly with respect not only towards their many followers but to the rest of us out there online. That is — often times when influencers gonewild, its a result of them forgetting that they have this responsibility. Influencers need to be transparent, honest and have integrity if they want a genuine following.
To keep them from running amuck, influencers need to establish some clear boundaries once it comes the content and value creation. That means they will steer clear from harmful or mis-informative content and be aware of how their actions could impact those who follow them. Influencers gonewild behavior will be kept in check if they mainly consider the welfare of their followers more than an insatiable thirst for likes and views.
An equally important part of responsibility is knowing about the products and services they promote. Rather, influencers have a responsibility to do their due diligence before encouraging others of something that is dangerous. They can even prevent themselves from becoming just another influencer gone wild.
What Followers Can Do to Keep Themselves Safe
Isn’t like the followers didn’t have any part to play in this patent phenomena of influencers gonewild. Followers cannot prevent the damaging side effects of influencers gonewild — but they can at least filter their feed a little more carefully. This means doubting the knowledge delivered by influencers and observing that an influencer may not necessarily act in our best interests.
Followers also need to be aware that social media is a filtered place of real life. The influencers gonewild who give you a glimpse into what seems like an incredibly glamorous or interesting life but in reality may be far from it. Recognizing that can help followers keep a balanced perspective on what they’re consuming and avoid their consumption turning into something harmful.
Finally, followers have the power to not only stop following or supporting influencers gone wild who make themselves guilty of any unethical behavior. Even with influencers gonewild, public feedback used wisely becomes an ingenious weapon of control. Listeners can also start shaping a healthier and more responsible influencers gone wild culture as well, by voicing their concern with the influencers gone wild they follow.
Conclusion
kvnryqero / Via instagram.com Gonewild influencers gone wild are yet another reminder of the power and responsibility that comes with being famous on social media. On the one side, influencers gone wild can inspire and bring people together through common interests; on the other hand, they can also do enormous damage when their pursuit of personal gain overrides ethical behaviour. Acknowledging the dangers of influencers gonewild and measures to prevent it are ways for both influencers gone wild as well followers to help create a more stable, supportive atmosphere around influencers gone wild digital content. Ultimately, it is for everyone — platforms and influencers gone wild as well as followers alike to make sure that the influencers gone wild acting on social media serves good Purpose & not misuse a medium so haphazardly or dangerously.
