Although the spectacle of influencers flaunting their affluence has long been a staple of social media, there are signs that audiences are growing tired of it. Experts say “influencer fatigue” is wearing on young people who crave authenticity as inflation rises and achieving a stable livelihood becomes increasingly difficult.

According to data from a YPulse study shared with Yahoo News, 45% of people between the ages of 13 and 22 say influencers just don’t have the same power that they used to. About 53% said they were more likely to trust recommendations from regular people online whom they don’t know rather than creators with large followings.

Influencer marketing once offered an alternative to typical celebrity marketing. Celebrities appeal to us as salespeople because of the psychological phenomenon known as the halo effect. If someone is talented or beautiful, we assume they are highly qualified in other ways as well, which boosts sales. Influencers, who are powerful but not conventionally famous, offered a more relatable and accessible alternative. They’re far enough removed from celebrities that we can relate to them — until we can’t.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    If someone is talented or beautiful, we assume they are highly qualified in other ways as well

    With apologies for sounding like a cranky old man 30 years too early: in my day, we didn’t call thinking that “the halo effect”. We called it being a gullible dumbass.

    • sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz
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      8 months ago

      The “Halo Effect” has been a known psychological phenomenon since 1907 researched by uh…Wells and someone else who I can’t remember.

      I don’t want to rain on your cranky old man parade, but unless you’re 100+ years old I don’t think it was ever just “being a gullible dumbass”, it’s very much a known societal bias that has been leveraged by the advertising industry. Don’t think you’re immune to it just because you think you’re “above it”.

    • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      We called it being a gullible dumbass.

      The reality is that you’re almost certainly guilty of it. It’s human nature and to be so confident that everyone else is dumb and falls for it, and that it doesn’t bias your thoughts, is nothing but straight up arrogance.

      I can almost guarantee that every person who upvoted your post, and you included, are probably more prone to it than average precisely because you think you are immune, so you don’t bother to consider checking your own bias.

      • otp@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        Even our fairy tales and popular media often have ugly villains and beautiful (or “pure”) heroes.

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        8 months ago

        Sure, we’re all guilty of it, but telling someone that their decision making process is adversely affected by the Halo Effect might not be quite so convincing as warning them that they’re being a gullible dumbass.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          If you tell someone only gullible people fall for it…well, I’m not gullible so obviously I don’t fall for it. However if you tell someone we are all flawed humans that fall for it, they are more likely to be like “hmm, when does it affect my decision making process?”

          Although I’m under no false assumption that either is very effective. People mostly don’t want to admit that they are ever less than completely rational and objective.

      • Cosmicomical@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Being aware of psychological phenomena used in marketing doesn’t immunize you, I agree. But it definitely helps.You end up sounding paranoid to your friends, but you know those are real mechanisms that are used against you.

      • Clent@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Oh soothsayer what does your wisdom say of those of us who saw them as sellouts? Or those of us that aren’t enamored by consumerism? Or both?

        It would appear you are the one who has normalized these things in your mind as you have accepted them as inevitables.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          It would appear you are the one who has normalized these things in your mind as you have accepted them as inevitables.

          This is like saying that I’ve normalized car accidents because I tell you to wear your seatbelt, knowing full well they happen.

          The people who think they are not prone to these types of biases are exactly like the dopes who don’t wear seatbelts. Either because they think they aren’t prone to accidents, or are simply just dumb.

          • Clent@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Marketing doesn’t work as well as marketers would like everyone to believe. It works better on people who believe it works.

            • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              I’m not sure how one could possibly reason themselves into that position, so I guess I’ll just have to recognize that “you can’t reason a person out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into.”

              • Clent@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                Your inability to determine how I have reasoned my way into something is about you not me.

                Your dismissal of my ability to reason this and claim I didn’t reason myself into it, is a contradiction to the first half of your statement.

                It would appear you are caught up by your own limitations. Your choice to project these limitations on others indicates you are incapable of recognizing others have not only different perspective but different life experiences.

                • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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                  8 months ago

                  Instead of just throwing out a lot of empty insults, you could have just demonstrated I am wrong by explaining your reasoning. By not doing so, you just confirmed that I am right. Well done. Thank you.

                  • Clent@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    Am I did you give you my life story? You’ve asked no questions. Displayed no inquisitive nature from which to build a response.

                    You are the one throwing insults. I started with mocking tone and everything since has been placing a mirror to your insult attempts.

                    If you need an insult, I can easily provide one. You are a vapid know nothing.