by By Julia Wilfong
Growing up, I often heard that social media damaged my self-esteem and well-being as a young girl. In today’s extreme social world, this has become even more drastic. Influencers such as Alix Earle, Xandra, and Suede Brooks post content about fashion, makeup, boys, alcohol and partying, and other mature topics. When young minds watch videos of college-aged girls (and older), they compare themselves to a much more mature lifestyle. Their bodies are not yet developed, and their minds are still highly malleable. However, an influencer named Lexi Hidalgo has great content for maturing minds. Hidalgo uses her platform for discussions about mental health, the benefits of the outdoors, and living a happy life. She often dives deep into her experiences growing up as a girl. She ensures her audience knows that her page is one of acceptance. While she is not the only person with a platform doing this, she is someone young girls can relate to and look up to.
I support Lexi Hidalgo so much as a content creator because of her ability to connect with her audience and maintain a real image. She is predominantly known for her TikTok account but has many followers on Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube. Lexi’s whole brand is about creating space that is healthy and healing. She talks about her struggles with mental health, acne, and body image and provides tools and encouragement for her viewers. One way that she does this is through her podcast called “Moments Podcast.” She posts roughly once a week on Spotify and Youtube. Her content is mostly about how to better yourself, how to find gratitude, and any advice she has to give. I believe this kind of content is very encouraging and supportive to young minds, especially when they hear about the experience of a role model.
While the Moments Podcast is one of the best aspects of her platform, Lexi Hidalgo is commonly known for her sunrise dips in the ocean. Living in Florida, she is a beach girl and often wears swimsuits. She is an advocate of body positivity and being honest about issues and insecurities. She will post sunrise ocean dip videos and encourage her followers to have a good day and do something to make them happy. She advocates for exercise and body movement (yoga, walking, etc.) and has an extreme love for nature.
Overall, I believe that Lexi Hidalgo uses her influencer status for excellent reasons. While most social media content can have some downsides, Lexi is someone who cares about her audience and platform. On TikTok, many young minds are seeing content that is far too mature for them, which can create damaging self-esteem issues or just overall anxiety. Having a content creator who tries to support and encourage her followers is so important, and Lexi helps bring calm into the chaos of social media. I hope more creators follow her lead and stop using things such as beauty filters or setting unreasonable standards of partying five nights a week and living a “perfect life.”
I am a follower of Lexi Hidalgo as well, yet I have never reflected on the impact she has on maturing minds. I am glad you did. I think your perspective on Hidalgo’s social media presence is fresh and runs very true to the world we live in. I find myself feeling more comfortable and relaxed watching her TikTok as a 20-year-old in college, so I could not imagine how an impressionable teen feels when watching her content. Great post Julia!
Hi Julia,
This is truly an amazing post and totally relatable. I personally follow influencers like Alix Earle and Xandra and find myself comparing their lifestyle with mine. I have followed Lexi Hidalgo for years and am a religious listener to her podcasts. She is relatable and shares content and lessons that make me feel better, and is overall a good influence. I respect Lexi and all the Florida content creators, such Ana Stowell and Natalie Zacek for being real. Great read!
Influencers influence us far beyond just their product recommendations; they impact our lifestyle choices, perspectives and internal feelings, too. Thank you for touching on this in your post by providing an analysis of Lexi Hidalgo. It’s refreshing to see Lexi share her positive mindset and approach to life on social media, while also touching on the struggles so many of us face in our 20s (and in all life stages). I also liked how you mentioned the impact this has on younger generations, too. On platforms like TikTok where unsolicited content is so accessible by scrolling on the “For You Page,” it’s even more important to ensure content isn’t harmful as it gets into the hands of younger audiences.
I was recently introduced to Lexi Hidalgo through a classmate when working on an assignment for a class. Instantly when I checked out her social media, I felt a difference between her content and other popular female influencers. I am always seeking genuine accounts on social media that aren’t only about the positive aspects when being a young adult and in our 20s because it just isn’t realistic. It often leads me to not feel good about myself because having a perfect life isn’t relatable for me. However, I love the approach Hidalgo is taking to help make a difference on social media for those scrolling and struggling with the negative impacts.