by Alex Evans

Local News Editor

Followers shouldn’t be shocked when a content creator makes a mistake; after all, an influencer’s platform is entirely built by them and many are young people making mistakes as they grow. A combination of these factors, as well as constant critique from the public eye make it almost inevitable for social media stars to mess up and get called out. Because internet influencers only present a small part of themselves to the internet, their followers should not be so shocked when they do not always live up to their online presence.

When someone has a large platform — whether they have 10 thousand followers or 10 million — they can decide what does and does not go onto it. Chances are that the majority of their followers do not know them in real life, so this makes it easier for creators to conceal their true negative traits or performative activism. Because it is so inherently easy for influencers to conceal their real faults, their fans should not be so appalled to find out that the internet celebs they follow do not follow exactly what they preach in the media. Instead of fans’ immediate reaction being to cancel an influencer over a mishap, they should hold creators accountable and understand how mistakes are bound to be made. 

A lot of influencers who build their platform via social media sites like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are young and impressionable, even though they are seen as leaders to many. When growing up, making mistakes is common, so assuming that these creators have malicious intentions can be incredibly harmful. A mistake could entail a small mishap or an event which a creator can learn and grow from. When the mistakes made actually do have a harmful intent, a more intense repercussion is permissible. To put their behavior into perspective, a regular high school student who makes a mistake could face criticism from friends or family, but typically not thousands or even millions of people all at once.   

Considering that a lot of the most famous creators are teenagers, they are in a period of their lives where they are expanding their views and trying new things. Understandably, they should be considerate of how their actions could unintentionally portray a hurtful message. Generally, creators have the ability to hide the truths in their lives, and being a teen with changing interests can foster gaps in the public’s knowledge of internet stars’ lives. The people who you follow have the chance to mess up, so do not take offense so quickly and address what is happening on their end.