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Social media influencers have become cultural powerhouses, setting trends, shaping lifestyles and even . As their influence grows, so do ethical debates about them: are they villains exploiting their audiences, victims of an unregulated industry or champions driving positive change?

In our chapter in the recently released book, "," we synthesized existing literature to explore the ethical minefield of influencer culture and attention economy. We scrutinized the responsibilities of influencers, brands, platforms and consumers, and the broader impact of influencers on society at large.

Influencers as villains

Influencers are often . They are frequently criticized for inauthentic behavior, such as by failing to disclose partnership agreements, perpetuating unrealistic beauty or lifestyle standards or by lying to their audiences outright.

Despite regulations, many influencers hide their paid partnerships. In 2023, for instance, found that 81% of influencers failed to properly disclose paid partnerships.

Influencers are incentivized to do this because advertising-heavy content can appear inauthentic and be off-putting to followers. These omissions mislead audiences into thinking products and brand reviews are based on genuine opinion, rather than part of a paid script.

Multiple influencers have also been caught lying to their followers about their lifestyles. One notable example is Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who . She gained a massive following and profited from these claims before being exposed and .

Despite the controversy, Gibson's story was adapted by Netflix into a series called , further fueling the money-making machine.

Another case is that of Yovana Mendoza, a raw vegan influencer . The video went viral after being leaked by fellow travelers. Despite later revealing that she had stopped being vegan for health reasons, she still faced backlash and accusations of hypocrisy.

Unrealistic beauty standards

Influencers, and particularly , are also villainized by the masses for perpetuating unrealistic standards and lifestyle choices.

From posing as the "perfect family" or the "perfect wife" (such as trad wife influencer Hannah Neeleman, ), to flaunting ultra-thin or perfectly chiseled beauty ideals, influencer content fosters harmful social comparisons.

These portrayals can contribute to anxiety and among social media audiences. Influencers prey on these insecurities to make profit and gain influence, which affects the well-being of these audiences.

In the case of male Instagram followers of the hashtag #fitfam, increased pressure to achieve the so-called "instabod"—a sculpted, idealized physique—was linked to symptoms of .

Influencers as champions

Despite the controversies surrounding influencer culture, some content creators are leveraging their platforms to do good. Body positivity influencers, for instance, advocate for self-love and self-acceptance, .

One of the best known figures in this space is , who challenges beauty norms by with her 21.4 million Instagram followers.

There are also green influencers who champion sustainability. For example, teaches urban farming, while advocates for zero-waste living.

A engage in what researchers call "styleactivism." They use their social media platforms to bring about important changes in the ageist and sexist fashion and beauty markets.

There is also a growing movement known as "," where influencers discourage mindless consumption by critiquing over-hyped products, like the viral .

Influencers as victims

While some influencers might profit from the system, others are . There are a growing number of cases of unpaid labor where influencer agencies, like Speakr, , leaving creators in financial limbo.

Black and LGBTQ+ influencers have also reported . They often earn less than their white counterparts or are asked to work for free. Stephanie Yeboah, a Black plus-size influencer, told The Guardian .

Many influencers operate without the backing of talent managers or influencer agencies, despite taking on multiple roles, including videographers, video editors, scriptwriters, lighting specialists, directors and on-screen talent. This leaves them especially vulnerable to exploitation.

To top it all, influencers are also victims of online harassment and cyberbullying. As part of a , blogger Em Sheldon told MPs she .

As the influencer ecosystem expands and its culture evolves, there is increasing pressure for the industry to prioritize ethics over profit. Weeding out the unethical practices lurking in various corners of this lucrative industry will require collective efforts from policymakers, brands, as well as influencers and their followers.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.