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By Sammy Harris
Many have spoken up about their concerns when it comes to social media – more specifically the feeling of being bombarded with content featuring seemingly flawless lives. However, over the past few years, we’ve seen a shift towards a more authentic and transparent approach, with influencers sharing their struggles, insecurities, and faults with their followers.
While this shift is certainly admirable, not everyone is looking for the brutal reality of life when scrolling through social media. Some people simply want to escape from the difficulties of everyday life and find a safe, uplifting online space. This is where influencers like Sydney Adams come in.
Adams is a Florida-based influencer who has found a nice balance between promoting an influencer aesthetic and sharing the harsh realities of life. Unlike many influencers who feel the need to overshare in order to connect with their followers, Adams chooses to focus on bright content that provides an escape from the darkness of the world.
Her content often includes athleticwear reviews, church highlights, and travel updates, all tied together with a bright and optimistic aesthetic. She is open about why she often withholds some of her own struggles and tribulations; Adams hopes to create a safe space for her followers where they can seek positivity and optimism without feeling defeated about their own lives.
Upon looking deeper into Adams’ content, I recognized it’s important to remember that self-started influencers have the power to determine the effect they have on their followers. Rather than expecting influencers to dump all of their adversities in order to make us feel seen, heard, and related to, we should allow them to carry their pages as they see fit. This creates a diverse social media environment that allows us to seek out content that aligns with our values and promotes the kind of mindset we hope to have.
Adams’ hesitancy to overshare is a refreshing perspective in a world where oversharing has become the norm. She believes that allowing too many people into her life often leads to burnout, and that being selective about what she shares has contributed to her success in the social media world.
As we continue to rely on social media to determine our mood and mindset, it’s important to seek out influencers who promote positivity and optimism without fabricating a perfect life. The rise of “real” influencers has been a step in the right direction, but it’s important to recognize that not everyone wants to be reminded of the difficulties of life all the time. By allowing influencers like Sydney Adams to promote positivity in their own way, we can create a more balanced and diverse social media landscape that caters to a wider range of needs and desires.
Veering away from this expectation as an influencer is admirable. Sydney Adams recognizes her own limits when it comes to being her own brand, and acts as such. With her growing follower count and brand recognition, she continues to validate the perceived needs of her followers by pushing her feelgood content despite popular trends. Adams is inspiring the space for influencers to decide their own brand and set their own boundaries.
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I thought that this is a really interesting topic to write about. I never really considered how much influencers dumped their issues onto their viewers. Although it sometimes can be refreshing that influencers are real people and have similar problems to us, it can feel bombarding to have someone you rely on for positivity to post negative things.
Hi Sammy
Your blog really resonated with me as I often come to social media to feel better and look at things that will make me laugh and smile. I also have found that many social media influencers add more baggage to what I’m already feeling. Yes, it’s nice to feel seen and feel comforted in knowing that we’re not alone. However, sometimes I just want to be lifted up and count on positive content. Thank you for sharing!
I enjoyed reading this and I think you painted the picture of the range of how much influencers share really well. I really liked your point that it’s really up to the individual influencer to dictate their effect on their audience and I wonder if people will eventually burn out on influencer content or if its a genre that’s here to stay.