Introduction

The Horror! Influencer Gone Wild wasn’t the headline of a tabloid but a real social media saga. It became popular with influencers trying everything to attract followers. This sparked outrage and became a hot topic for debate, especially with social media being at everyone’s fingertips. As the world becomes more constructive, users find it easier to engage in debates that are already controversial. It does not come as a surprise that certain social media influencers thrive on it. In this paper, we examine the antecedents and consequences of ‘going wild’ in the context of influencers.

What Does “Influencer Gone Wild” Mean?

Influencer Gone Wild describes an influencer’s shocking, illegitimate or dangerous behavior when attempting to earn fame and followers. This includes inappropriate actions, criminal activities, scandalous speeches, or any other unlawful activities.

Influencer is a relatively new profession, born from Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube’s engagement. People develop creative content and effortlessly gain followers, which prompts collaboration opportunities with brands to seize the billion-dollar influencer marketing industry.

The Fame and Pressure

Fame comes with responsibilities, and in this case, extreme pressure. In this modern day of public vigilance, influencers must be careful to not compromise their personal values. Unfortunately, many believe that the best way to maintain a public image is to engage in extreme stunts.

Weird Cases of Influencers Losing It

Logan Paul and the Suicide Forest Japan

Logan Paul Aokigahara forest video led to his suspension from the YouTube Partner Program and cost him sponsorships. He got a lot of backlash for the do. The event took place in 2017.

Jake Paul And His Legal Issues

Paul’s brother, Jake Paul, is no stranger to legal trouble as well. Last year, he got involved in a ton of controversies, including looting, unauthorized house parties, and dangerous pranks.

Belle Delphine and Her NSFW Stunts

Internet star and social media celebrity Belle Delphine gained recognition for selling gamer girl bathwater, and while her marketing strategy was commendable, many criticized her for it.

Scamming Influencer With The Fyre Festival

Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and a bunch of other influencers promoted a luxury festival that went horribly wrong at the end. Because the influencers misled a whole ton of people, the authorities sued them for it along with everyone that attended the festival.

Some influencers fake social movements and donations just so they can get publicity, claiming to do social good, like pretending to support movements to help the homeless.

Why do people go crazy trying to go viral?

People have tendencies to go crazy for virality

There are many influencers who act insane and do things that can get them a lot of attention, likes, and shares.

Competition for attraction

With billions of influencers present on the internet today, one has to constantly change themselves and their style, which at times is unethical.

Absence of policies

Regulations and policies on social media influencers are absent, making it easy for influencers to break rules.

Effect of Cancel Culture

The first point is that people canceling each other ironically means ‘getting canceled’ brings more fame. Some influencers premeditated creating drama to get fame.

The effect of wild behavior

Cancellation of brand deals and loss of income

There are many influencers who endorse conflicting views, leading to the cancellation of deals with sponsors and brands.

Different platforms like YouTube and Instagram issue community guidelines. Violating these rules can lead to demonetizing the account or banning the account.

Trouble with the law

Due to their careless actions, some influencers get charged with a lawsuit and may have to pay fines or serve time in prison.

Issues with mental health

The pressure and stress of fame and getting hate takes a toll on many influencers, leading to anxiety and depression.

The Contribution of Followers on the Wild Behavior of Influencers

Followers’ role and the influencers’ demonetization culture go hand in hand. Wild and crazy content seems to get more engagement, and the influencer is encouraged to continue behaving that way.

Controversial Content is the Best Content

Preparing for the worst helps things go smoothly. Audiences simply love feasting on the scandals of influencers. So the more the influencer, the more profit they make.

The Power of Judgement

We often forget the people we used to idolize and criticize them for their content. Unfollowing these influencers can help reduce their power and diminish their appeal. Even reporting such behavior can help reduce the level of hate.

Is There A Way For Influencers To Come Clean?

There are always two sides to coins, so some influencers have found their way out of scarring by:

Genuine Apology: a proper apology by accepting the fault and knowing how to make it right.

The Break: Being away from social media and reflecting on oneself.

The Change: Drying their content to the change they want to see.

The good: taking action on important matters using their platform.

Examples: Elliot Rodger dodged mockery for being a net negative and became an entrepreneur after rebranding and claiming Logan Paul.

What To Do In Order To Protect Your Brand As An Influencer

Planning Ahead: Do not post false and misleading information that can result in harm to someone.

No Shows: Slack everywhere but on social media, avoiding silly public activities in favor of remaining silent.

Abide: Set rules and do not promote anything that can be considered a scam

Use Proactive: Practically walk the influencer while talking to the media.

FAQs

1. What influencer scandals earned the most publicity?

Some of the more famous scandals are Paul Logan’s Clickbate in a Japanese forest, The Fyre Festival Ponzi Scheme, as well as a large number of social media influencers faking philanthropic events.

2. Why are influencers spotted behaving in such a reckless manner?

A good number of influencers act irresponsibly in order to gain increased fame, engage more with their audience, or achieve a certain degree of economic gain.

3. After being involved in a scandal, are the influencers able to bounce back?

Of course, some influencers do move ahead positively by changing their mistakes or trying to imprint themselves in a better light.

4. Which impacts do influencers face after being canceled?

They will possibly lose their sponsors, get banned from social media, and lose a number of followers.

5. What can the audience do to ensure influencers are responsible for their actions?

The audience can unfollow them, report acts of ethical misconduct, and advocate for more responsible creators.

Partly. Generally, a policy and set of rules govern the behavior of users; however, platforms implement these rules inconsistently, giving influencers a window to skirt the law.

Conclusion

The issue of “My favorite social media influencer just went rogue” exposes the adverse consequences of internet fame. There are enormous benefits; however, social media rebounds on those irresponsible enough to seek them. The creators must understand the level of sensitivity that comes with their position. On the other hand, the audience has to assist in ensuring there is responsible creation while doing away with creating controversy.