The rise of social media has given anyone with a smartphone the ability to become an influencer. With a compelling personal brand and loyal following, people earn thousands by promoting products online. However, for some, the temptation of quick money and fame has led them down dangerous paths. This article explores cautionary tales of influencers who have “gone wild,” pursuing more clicks, likes, and dollars.
Chasing Attention at All Costs
One of the critical metrics for any influencer is engagement – the number of likes, comments, and shares their posts receive. This incentive structure has led some particularly ambitious influencers to resort to increasingly extreme stunts to go viral.
Bethany, a lifestyle influencer with over 100k Instagram followers, infamously live-streamed herself drinking an entire bottle of hot sauce for her fans. Within minutes, she was violently ill but continued the live video, racking up tens of thousands of views in the process. While this stunt raised Bethany’s profile, it also drew criticism that she was putting her health at serious risk simply for clicks.
Other influencers have carried out even more alarming dares. JakePaul, a YouTube star with over 20 million subscribers, filmed himself participating in looting during a protest last year. His video was condemned for glorifying criminal behavior. Fellow YouTuber Logan Paul faced backlash in 2017 after uploading footage from a Japanese “suicide forest” that included a deceased person.
Such reckless stunts show how social platforms’ metrics-driven nature can incentivize outrageous behavior, especially from influencers desperate to expand their reach and revenue. While a viral video may gain short-term attention, these influencers often face long-term reputational damage from crossing ethical lines. influencer gone wild
Blurring Personal and Professional Lives
Another common downfall for influencers is failing to maintain appropriate boundaries between their personal and professional lives online. Oversharing personal drama or opinions can alienate audiences and brand partners.
Makeup artist James Charles, who has over 25 million YouTube subscribers, faced a swift backlash in 2019 when private conversations with another influencer were leaked publicly. In the messages, Charles was accused of harassing a male acquaintance, signaling unhealthy boundaries between his personal and professional lives.
Other influencers, like TanaCon founder Tana Mongeau and blogger Caroline Calloway, have cultivated large followings by chronicling their personal lives and relationships online. However, both faced intense scrutiny from fans and the press when public feuds and controversies erupted that blurred professionalism.
Maintaining a separation between work and private lives is crucial for influencers, yet the constant public performance of self that social media requires makes delineation difficult. Influencers risk losing credibility and business partnerships when drama spills over, and audiences see unprofessional behavior.
Cashing in Without Consideration
One of the constants throughout each influencer misstep is the drive for profit above all else. With brand deals and sponsored content as their primary revenue streams, some online personalities pursue promotion opportunities without properly vetting products or weighing ethical implications.
Fitness influencer Emily Skye promoted a detox tea to millions of Instagram followers without sufficient research into potential health issues. The FDA later banned the tea for containing a laxative unsuitable for long-term use. Skye’s oversight in touting an unsafe product damaged her credibility in her health and wellness niche.
In another case, fashion and makeup YouTuber Laura Lee lost deals and subscribers when old racist tweets surfaced online. Lee had built a lucrative career through sponsored content yet failed to consider fully vetting her background before taking on any promotion, with catastrophic results.
For some influencers, the promise of massive payouts from corporate partnerships can override good judgment about appropriate sponsorships or vetting one’s past actions. When monetary gain becomes the sole priority, harmful lapses are more likely to occur that undermine authentic connections with fans.
Prioritizing Protection and Policies
As the influencer marketing industry matures, more efforts are emerging to help content creators balance business needs with responsible practices. Brands, agencies, and online personalities themselves are recognizing the importance of policy and protection.
Major players like the Influencer Marketing Hub provide review platforms for vetting sponsorships based on product safety, truth in advertising, and company reputation. They aim to guide influencers towards upholding standards and reducing reckless promotions.
Unions and advocacy groups have also formed to support influencers’ well-being. For example, the Digital Creator Union lobbies for members dealing with mental health, data/privacy issues, and legal support. Their services can help influencers avoid burnout and make smarter choices in high-pressure environments.
Most importantly, influencers are willing to self-regulate and establish healthier boundaries. Effective strategies include:
- Separating personal and career social accounts.
- Minding comments about other public figures.
- Taking regular breaks from platforms.
Setting limits preserves influencers’ authenticity and long-term potential rather than chasing ephemeral hype.
As the influencer industry matures, emphasis is shifting towards sustainability over sensation seeking. Strategies focusing on vetting sponsorships, prioritizing wellness, and maintaining appropriate separations between public and private lives indicate a path towards healthier, responsible influencer marketing in the coming years. With collective efforts, influencers need not continually “go wild” but can instead balance business and ethics for stability.
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