31 Things That Influencers Have Normalized That Are Actually So, So Messed Up (2024)

4. "Charity p*rn."

—sarahbird

"Yes, I absolutely hate it. By all means, do charitable acts and film prepping it, but don’t make the subjects of the charity engage in your videos, even if you say they don’t have to you’re putting them in a position where they’ll feel like they have to say yes to get the charity. A woman I went to school with owned a local dive bar where we grew up that also did food. She would film videos of herself taking food to homeless people so that she could use the videos to promote the bar. It was disgusting because the homeless person wasn’t in a position to say no so they had to sacrifice their dignity for that meal and her ego. She would never have done that good deed without videoing it either which immediately means you lose all credit for it. It’s just using people less fortunate than you."

—kerryb4e7ff4e7a

"The ONLY legitimate reason to share video of acts of charity is to increase awareness of an issue or community that is especially invisible, especially if it would be something that a surge of awareness about would make a big difference. Any other example of filming acts of charity is solely about the giver, not the recipient."

—etconner

"It's one thing to make a video ABOUT your charity (this is who we are, what we do, etc.) but making the recipient of charity appear in the video is so messed up."

—pattilquigley

5. "Any influencer who posts 'what I eat in a day' videos that start (almost ALWAYS) with a body check, then proceed to show an amount of food suitable for a three-year-old. like…really just promoting eating disorders to a vulnerable audience and having no shame whatsoever in doing so."

—danielleintheden

"And it's under the guise of 'wellness.' Bone broth, teas, herbs, and citrus/vitamin water. I really don't like to call these people 'idiots' as others have, (even though I understand their frustration with influencers) because I really think someone should step in and help them realize what an unhealthy addiction social media can turn into. Eventually, they will be making documentaries about the type of business they are in and we'll see the dangers we haven't even realized yet for everyone involved from creators to viewers."

9. "I'll go ahead and also add on to yours by saying wasting FOOD, as well. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE this so much, dumping out milk, soda, throwing whole pizzas and burgers and chips away like that. ... It's so disgusting that people do this for clicks and views when not only did that person waste their money, someone else could have gotten a hot meal or something, but no, dumping slime on 20 pizzas for 100 views is SO MUCH BETTER, Kevin..."

"You would think in this day and age that at the very least, Gen Z and younger millennials would be more mindful about waste and the damage it can do to the environment, but no. I don't care about makeup, don't care about styling and fashion, you do you, but what I absolutely HATE with every fiber of my being are these assholes wasting food, drink, and really anything else in excess for clicks and views. 'Watch me throw 100 pizzas off a bridge! yuk, yuk, yuk.' 'Watch me bathe in 1,000 pounds. of ramen noodles!'"

—morgan_le_slay

11. And really just filming in any public area, like a plane aisle or a bathroom: "I was at the movies a few weeks ago post movie I needed to use the restroom. there were two girls in there filming themselves doing a TikTok dance. They kept getting upset people were using the facilities, and said something to the effect of 'why do all these bishes keep using the bathroom, can't they see?' I waited until they started dancing and flushed. The lady in the next stall over, though, farted so loudly on purpose (she snickered) that the girls got mad and left."

"I laughed so hard. So if you see a video of two girls getting out farted on TikTok, I'm the one flushing every time they started to dance."

—r4732565ca

12. Really just any behavior influencers exhibit at Disney, including: filming people without their consent, trying to get the actors to break character, ignoring safety precautions and filming on rides, and overall just taking away from everyone's experiences.

"Most of the Disney YouTubers and 'Influencers' are horrible! They prance around theme parks all day stuffing their faces, buying merchandise, and using their stans’ superchats and donations to pay for everything. ... They’re in the parks every day shoving their cameras in everyone’s faces and shoving their way through lines like they’re better than everyone else!

One streamer...even took $300 in cash from a man who said he was a fan and was there celebrating being cancer free. How could they take his money? The man said he didn’t have much. They’re nothing but glorified panhandlers, these theme park Disney Adults looking for a way to fund their lifelong vacation lifestyles. I’ve seen people leave their children and spouses at home to go and grift in the parks. Disney rules clearly state that business isn’t to be conducted on Disney property, but these people have sponsors, hawk their poorly made (and copyright infringing) T-shirts and merchandise, and detract from the paying guests’ experiences. You have no idea how many unsuspecting innocent people have had their butts on their streams, or blew their nose, or were eating, or had their legs uncrossed inadvertently, and it was all caught on these stupid streamers’ videos for all the world to see! Some have even brought their livestreams into the restroom with them, and although they pointed the camera at the ceiling or wall (multiple offenders there), you could clearly hear everything going on in that restroom! It’s against the law and is an invasion of guests’ privacy.

And I can’t tell you how many TikTokers and Instagrammers do things that are clearly against Disney and other theme parks’ rules all to get their viral shot. They hold up character meet and greet lines, making children wait while they have a whole conversation and interview with the characters. They do things that are not family-friendly or that you’d want your child seeing, especially in what’s supposed to be a family-friendly theme park. And it’s just plain creepy to see so many middle-aged and older men roaming the parks with cameras rolling. Disney needs to shut these people down instead of adding them to their media lists."

—Anonymous

"I'm a Disney Adult and not ashamed to admit that, but the length that these 'influencers' go to in order to get likes is wild. They purposely put face characters into awkward situations to get them to step out of character. Reality is, if those actors did that, they could be fired. If I ever ran into one of these people in the park, I would probably say some not-so-Disney things to them."

—ilovedogs1211

"They've taken over the parks and it's ridiculous sometimes. When I worked there (college program), I had more than once someone stick a camera in my face while I was working and started asking questions for whatever social media they created content for. I'm trying to do my job! I am not here for your views! People also try to record entire rides, which is not allowed for many rides because of the danger loose items like phones and cameras create, and get incredibly angry when you tell them they can't. They also don't listen to safety information at all if they're filming — they're focused on something else entirely. So, these people are not just annoying and entitled, they're dangerous. Hundreds of people they film everyday also most likely never consented to being filmed."

—ultimatefangirl12

21. And just generally expecting the rules to be bent for them and threatening to tell their followers if they aren't.

"We had a self-proclaimed influencer come into the restaurant a few weeks back with her group of friends. They didn't have a reservation, and for a party of eight, it wasn't going to be easy to accommodate them. The reason for this was the restaurant layout being geared to small table settings and booths that are set up for parties of four. She wanted a booth and for us to add a table to the end. She wasn't the first person to ask this of the restaurant. Many people ask this, and we have to tell them no because that area (where the booths are located) is the direct walking path to the kitchen for all staff, and I was under strict instructions to never block it. Said influencer was pissed to say the least and didn't like me trying to 'change her vision' of her experience. I said I could put tables together in the main dining area, but that was shot down with 'do you have any idea how stupid you sound? You are blowing a huge opportunity here. I can make or break this business...tonight.' I had no idea how to respond to that. So, I got my GM involved. I had never seen him escort anyone out of the restaurant before, but damn, did he do it quick with them. The next day, the influencer left a four-paragraph review on our Yelp and threatened to call the health department. Gotta love entitled people."

—Anonymous

25. Selling services they're reallyyyy not qualified to offer...

"When March 2020 happened, India went in a blanket lockdown. This one Indian influencer (fashion, I guess) put a post about how we're in this together and some other mental health buzzwords bullsh*t and said that for a nominal charge of 1,500 or some rupees ($20) she will give people mental health counseling (like answer a question or two in her DMs).

Please note that she is in no capacity a therapist or licensed counselor. Just wanted to cash in.

The only reason I'm aware [is because] it made national news, and she was mocked relentlessly and eventually backtracked and gave some sh*tty excuse which I honestly didn't bother to follow up on."

—dishanath1

31. And finally, influencers that spend every outing just taking photos of themselves: "Recently, I was at a really nice spa just across the Hudson from NYC, with loads of saunas, pools, etc. I was in the 'infinity pool' on the roof which had spectacular views of Manhattan, and quickly noticed a young lady who had brought her phone into the pool with her and was either taking nonstop selfies, or was having her boyfriend take photos of her. I was in the pool for 45 minutes and swear she did not stop the entire time."

—gwinevere

"I had a similar experience on a holiday recently in Goa. I was staying at a beachside property where the restaurant area is a popular sundowner tourist destination. I was laying on a swing with a book and was people watching, and there was a group of girls who were in my eyeline, and I swear that for two hours all they did was click photos and make videos. At no point did they not have a camera recording every moment.

In fact, that was a thing most of the people there were doing. 'Capturing moments' and 'taking candid pictures' without actually being in the moment, or being candid with each other. They would pose for happy selfies and group photos, but the second they would stop clicking photos, they would go on their phones and ignore each other."