David Dobrik, Charlie D’Amelio, Brent Rivera, Liza Koshy, Lilly Singh-but a few influencers who have become household names. The list is endless, and these individuals change the world every time they move, eat, get dressed, and go out. If you think about it, it’s kind of weird what everyone watches on YouTube — Normal human people doing normal human things.
To begin, let’s look at the content that people view these days. Morning routine videos usually entail the influencer getting up, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and eating breakfast. My younger cousins frequently watch unboxing videos where people open various toys in front of the camera- videos that gain millions of views! Pranking people with fake snakes and balloon clowns or scary masks is another new-trending entertainment.
So, why do people watch videos like this?
The most obvious reason might be because we like a particular influencer, and so, we want to know everything that goes on in their lives. Viewing morning routines and room tours will give us an unblemished idea of the environment that they live in and how a typical day looks like from dawn to dusk.
But there’s a catch.
After watching them, we try to be like them. We end up buying the same beauty products, or toys that we haven’t even heard of or even clothes such as knee-high boots, Gucci sneakers, or the fancy new outfit your favourite influencer was wearing in his/her latest Instagram picture.
As a result of these videos, we also want to drink a double-cream Frappuccino with two caramel pumps, two pumps chocolate with extra ice from Starbucks. A beverage that is probably going to cost way too much for a middle-class Indian family who will definitely claim that coffee from ‘Kaapi Katte’ will taste much better (and is also much cheaper) than whatever conundrum your influencer’s drink is!
The more we know about the influencers, the more we stalk them on social media platforms, the closer we feel towards them. However, they’re never going to notice us and are probably faking everything that they are doing.
Yet, there is still this thrill about it. We fantasize about being close to our favourite celebrity or influencer. We could be watching their content to escape our own life filled with exams, tuitions, cricket, and extra-classes to one of glamor, fancy outings, met galas, and interviews. For a few moments of our day, we can travel mentally to another, side-dimensionally existing life through someone else.
It also could be that you don’t actually like watching these videos. In fact, you might have even called them stupid and a waste of time at some point, but you still watch it because everyone in your social group watches and fangirls about it. So, to fit in with your peers and to do what everyone else is doing- you watch these videos because your celebrity crush has to be a member of BTS! Otherwise, your group will call you “lame” or a person with no taste and probably will never talk to you again.
Or at least that’s what you think. Spend your time watching something that matters to you. The intent of social media is to inspire after all. Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to record yourself doing a few everyday chores ;)