Being an influencer is a tricky profession. You are an idol to a number, and you are influencing people you have never seen or met in real life. As much as influencers influence their followers, their number of followers can also affect the influencer. The more the following, the more the validation, but is it truly validation? When the numbers can be bought? When the loyalty is seasonal, and gods forbid if you take a break to detox from the pressures of social media, will your loyal followers stay? That is clearly a lot of pressure to live with and more so for teenagers who are enjoying massive following, which brings tremendous daily pressures.
With this perspective in mind, you cannot help but agree with Fernanda Rocha Kanner, mum of a 14-year-old influencer in Brazil. She has taken a radical step and deleted her daughter’s social media accounts after describing TikTok and Instagram as ‘unhealthy.’ Valentina, known online as Nina Rios, is a teenager that had amassed more than 1.7 million followers. What led the mother to delete the account of her famous daughter completely? Fernanda wasn’t impressed with the 30 identical selfies and little dances that anyone can do, making up most of her daughter’s Instagram content. “I don’t want her advertising flammable polyester clothing made in China. I don’t want my brilliant daughter doing her daily dances like a trained baboon. It’s a sad generation for which this counts as fame,” she added.
Fernanda added she did not want Valentina to grow up believing she’s this ‘character.’
“I don’t want her advertising flammable polyester clothing made in China. I don’t want my brilliant daughter doing her daily dances like a trained baboon. It’s a sad generation for which this counts as fame,” Fernanda stated. While many may term this a harsh step, come to think of important subjects like mental health, body image, and the need for constant validation, it’s necessary to protect the kids while you still can.
Nina told Fantastico of her mum’s decision to delete her account: ‘I obviously wasn’t very happy. I got quite angry.’ the teenager is unsure when or if she will return to social media. Do you agree that mothers know best or are it best to let teenagers live their life on their terms? I agree with the mother’s sentiment that it is riskier for a teenager in a world where it’s not healthy even for an adult to base self-discovery on online feedback.
