Social media has become a huge part of our lives and we can’t imagine a life without it. We’re using apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat for the most part of our days. Besides following our friends and family members, a large number of people follow social media celebrities on different channels.
These celebrities, also known as influencers, have a large number of fan following and have an impact on them as well. However, in the search for fame, these influencers use weird, odd, and sometimes, sensational means to get fame. “Influencers Gone Wild” is the one that describes it all. It has now become a huge part of the Internet and is impacting society as well. In this article, I am going to discuss what this term actually is and all of its relevant factors. Let’s start.
What is Influencers Gone Wild?
Influencers Gone Wild is a term used to describe the unorthodox and weird behavior of social media celebrities. This term covers everything a celebrity does in order to gain the attention of the Internet while doing strange and unethical actions.
These actions could be performing a practical prank, doing a sensational challenge, or getting involved in an inappropriate scandal. Whatever the action is, its main purpose is to get the celebrity the fame they’re looking for.
Sometimes, influencers can get caught in the “wild” act accidentally. They don’t mean to get into a controversial situation but the netizens make them do so.
For example, paparazzi could take pictures of famous people in public doing unfiltered actions like having a smoke or having a fun party with their friends. Now that the Internet is accessible to almost everyone, the “Influencers Gone Wild” phenomenon could have a lot of impact on society.
Reasons Behind “Influencers Gone Wild”:
Influencers don’t go wild out of nowhere. There are specific reasons behind their behaviors. Here are some of the major ones:
To gain fame:
One of the biggest reasons behind the unorthodox and strange behaviors of influencers is the pursuit of fame. We all know that there are millions of influencers out there on almost every platform. In order to be prominent among them and gain attention, people do all types of crazy stuff. The crazier the behavior is, the more controversial the news will be about them. As a result, they will be more famous on the Internet and gain more followers.
Increase engagement:
Being a social media content creator yourself, you are aware that the secret to success is consistently posting original and captivating content. You risk losing followers if you stop creating such content.
So, when influencers run out of creativity, their engagement drops. To increase this engagement, they start publishing unethical or weird content. Weird content gains the attention of the people and which boosts the engagement.
Pressure for validation:
Some people need constant validation in order to feel satisfied about what they do. It could be another reason for the “Influencers Gone Wild” phenomenon. Influencers may need constant likes and comments in order to feel engaged and valid. To get these comments and likes, they’re willing to do every crazy stuff they’re capable of doing.
Examples of Influencers Gone Wild:
There are several examples of “Influencers Gone Wild”. I’ve discussed the major ones below:
Doing sensational challenges:
Doing sensational challenges is a major example of this phenomenon. People do silly, and sometimes, dangerous stunts in order to gain public attention. One example of these challenges is the “Tide Pods Challenge” where people eat laundry detergent pods as a trend.
Promoting materialism:
Promoting materialism is another example where people show off materialistic possessions for the sake of views. They show their luxury lifestyles that have everything including expensive cars and jets. In doing so, they even showcase fake lifestyles that don’t actually have. It creates false standards of a successful life which impacts a lot of social media users.
Offensive pranks:
We all love pranks. People on platforms like YouTube have gained a lot of fame because of them. However, some influencers cross ethical boundaries and pull offensive pranks on people. These pranks not only offend people but sometimes also lead to injuries.
Inappropriate sexual behaviors:
Showing inappropriate sexual behavior is a huge example of “Influencers Gone Wild”. People get involved in adulterous scandals in order to gain fame and views. Such activities have a very bad impact on society; especially on youth.
The Impact of “Influencers Gone Wild” on the Society:
This phenomenon impacts the society in several ways. I’ve listed them below:
- It makes people invest their focus on useless controversies and waste their time.
- It promotes false standards of fame and success among the youth.
- This phenomenon makes people want to attempt sensational acts and stunts which is extremely dangerous.
- Fake standards make social media a very less trustworthy platform.
- Showcasing sexual behaviors produces immoral thoughts and values in youth.
How to Stay Safe?
It is important that you keep yourself safe from this negative side of the Internet.
Here are some points you can follow in order to do that:
- Be extremely selective when it comes to following celebrities and influencers on social media.
- Don’t believe in what you see.
- Remember that the beauty and lifestyle standards shown on social media are all fake.
- Only use social media for entertainment purposes and don’t get inspired by extreme influencers.
- Limit your social media usage in order to stay away from this crazy phenomenon completely.
Conclusion:
To sum it up, “Influencers Gone Wild” is a huge phenomenon that is getting more and more popular on the Internet. It describes the sensational and unethical behaviors of social media influencers.
These people sometimes take strange steps in order to boost their fame. They perform actions like pulling offensive pranks and promoting materialism to get this fame. It affects society negatively and it is important that you stay away from such things.
FAQs:
Can influencers get caught in controversies involuntarily?
Yes. Sometimes influencers get involved in controversies involuntarily or accidentally.
Which social media platform promotes such behaviors?
Pointing out a specific social media platform that promotes these types of behaviors isn’t possible. However, most of the famous platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube could be involved in it the most.
Is leaving social media completely a good tactic to avoid such things?
No. Leaving social media once and for all won’t be a good idea. However, you can limit the usage in order to stay safe.
