What Ethical Obligations Do Influencers Have?

I've always had a strong sense that with a following comes a ton of responsibility. I'm not so sure that's been good for business.

Me, pretending to work, looking like a wax figure.

I was having a conversation yesterday about the world of interior design influencers in which I brought up a topic that’s been on my mind since I started blogging in 2010. A friend asked me a question about what worried me about my business in this ever changing social media landscape. My responses had to do more with the impact of the work I do (sharing ideas and showcasing home decor) than they had to do with my own personal interest. Generally, I worry that interior design influencers may be contributing to the “fast fashionizing” of home decor. We share more and more content, more and more quickly, and with that comes a rapidly evolving set of home decor trends that are nearly impossible to keep up with.

My worry is that even I have gotten used to things being new all the time. And that I may be contributing to a culture of disposability solely by showing new spaces made over, over and over again, as part of my work. Another worry I have about moving forward is how I make people feel about their own lives. There’s an incentive online to share only your best self because brands want to work with people whose lives are aspirational. They want their products to be aspirational. Which pressures content creators to showcase only their successes, only the beauty of their lives, lest they risk losing out on profitable partnerships.

For some reason, since I started sharing ideas to a large audience, I have felt a sense of obligation to do so in a socially responsible way that was more about doing the right thing than it was about running a business. And part of me thinks that hasn’t really benefitted me. The more “real” I've been online, the less partnership opportunities I’ve gotten. Meaning, if I shared something about my car being repossessed or having to move out of my LA apartment, I’d notice a dip in reach out from brands. This may or may not be a direct result of my circumstances, but over the course of my fifteen plus year career working in entertainment/media I have noticed that the more money you have, the more money people want to throw your way. So when you’re struggling, especially financially, it can be hard to get your foot back in the door.