I have always struggled with the question of what is influencing? Why is this generation so captivated by individuals who appear on screen dancing and then telling you to buy a health supplement that they are not qualified to recommend?

The idea of influencing within this generation has always eluded me. Why give a platform to people who have no qualifications to tell the public how to lose weight, how to fix a car or how to maintain flawless hair or skin?

Although I complain about influencers, I am not a stranger to scrolling through TikTok and buying something an influencer recommends.

Whenever I see an influencer I like, wearing something cool or using a certain makeup brand, I feel compelled to buy it. Whether to create a certain look or to capture a sliver of their flawless aesthetic, I feel as though I have no choice but to buy the product they are promoting.

I think a big part of why advertising companies are moving away from televised ads and toward making influencers brand ambassadors is due to the increased online presence of the younger generation.

Gen Z is constantly on their phones, scrolling through apps such as TikTok and Instagram multiple times a day. The addiction to scrolling is a big part of how advertising companies now deliver these short video ads as a marketing strategy.

These short videos are conveniently delivered to us through our very own handy-dandy cellphones. This is done via apps like TikTok and Instagram, crafting a personalized feed catering to exactly what ‘we want’.

I feel as though everyone has had the experience of talking to a friend about something of interest, only to strangely see an ad or a post about it on Instagram later — making you question whether your phone is listening to you.

Instagram has created the illusion that by buying this pair of pants or that trendy top, you can achieve a certain look — an ideal of achievability often pushed by certain influencers or brands.

By using this ‘influencer-marketing technique,’ brands can access audiences more easily. Algorithms are then used to target potential buyers based on their clicks, likes and dislikes – ultimately feeding them tailored content with the hopes of prompting a purchase.

This, yet again, begs the question of how we decide who becomes an influencer. I think a key factor in why we keep watching these influencers’ videos is a mix of a few things: envy, relatability and ability to keep audiences engaged within a brief period.

I see creators like Emma Chamberlain and Ilona Maher, andcannot help wanting the life they have. Whether it’s personality, wardrobe, life or looks, I find myself feeling jealous.

The appeal is in the illusion that by buying these products we can become a little more like these influencers we admire, or that we can get a little closer to achieving that life that seems so out of reach.

I think at the end of the day, perhaps we are giving influencers too much influence over what we choose to spend money on. Maybe the way to stop overspending is to realize that what you have is good enough — you don’t have to spend copious amounts of money to try to look like someone you have only seen through your screen.