Becoming trees: The self-sacrifice of independent expression in influencers
Before this article becomes misunderstood from the very start, let me describe the targets of whom this article speaks. There exists a modern description of online personalities who for better or for worse have the label ‘influencers’, my own nausea with this label notwithstanding, not all influencers are within the scope of the present article.
Instead the article confines its gaze to the vulgar subset of all influencers whose raison d’être appears to be one of the inherent need to reflect supposed success through the use of branded paraphernalia.
Defining the creature
If one trawls through Tiktok or Instagram or any number of social media platforms one is likely to come across a curious creature. This creature looks and appears human enough, with desires, motivations and flaws carefully displayed so as to make them appear virtuous.
This creature presents ‘content’ in the form of some innocuous subject matter such as cosmetics, comedy or artistic endeavour. But a transformation occurs wherein the creature that we will term an ‘influencer’ gains a sufficient enough following that provides some degree of financial stability, it is then the language of the creature changes. The nature of the language change involves a tic-like response that provokes the regurgitation of names such as ‘Prada’ and ‘Gucci’.
However where the individual with a tic has the worthy alibi of a neurological disorder, the influencer’s own tic of this sort is a wilful suicide of independent thought, and conformity to a shadowy amorphous self which is coherent only when identified with some brand or other.
Along with this change of language and the narrowing focus of content onto abstract concepts and brands comes the inevitable narrowing focus of one’s own worth onto the material such as houses, cars etc. There is nothing new of course about self-worth being tethered to the material, however we are attempting to define a symptomology here.
Let’s outline this symptomology for clarity:
- A change of language with a focus on increasing the number of brands mentioned.
- A new or increased focus on the acquisition of material goods valued by society as indicating success.
- Self-identification with branding
- The loss of a coherent self
Self-sacrifice, Dante and becoming a tree
Once the transformation reaches its final stages, the identification with brands enthuses the individual and causes them to undergo a metaphysical change in form. Here I use the term ‘enthuse’ and enthusiastic as in the sense of the original Greek etymology of the word indicating the taking over of the individual by a deity. Only the deity in question is a brand or brands that signify worth and the concept of success — at least according to society.
Here the transformational process may have started out as being under the control of the individual but appears to undergo an ever-increasing automation. Any potential danger of originality of content is quickly sacrificed for the preservation of the idea of self being forever linked to the brand. The ideal of course for any of these individuals is the creation of a brand that is based upon themselves, but failing that creation, any brand will serve to create a sense of self-worth.
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the realm of Hell for suicides is indicated by the population taking the form of trees. As is so often the case in Dante the punishment reflects the apparent crime, and since suicide was thought a crime the individual who wilfully gave up their forms were not granted the metaphysical representation of that form within the afterlife.
And so the first part of the title of this article refers to the influencer’s sacrificing of independent self into what may be termed a ‘tree of branding’. But where Dante found humanity behind the breaking of the twig, what the still free find behind a broken twig of an influencer is a reference to ‘Louis Vuitton’.
The reaction of society to the transformation
It is perhaps strange that what starts out as a passionate love affair with an influencer, degrades into resentment. Perhaps this resentment was there all along. It’s hard to tell. Generally speaking, a growing resentment may be indicative of the envy one might feel at the influencer transcending independent form and becoming immortalised albeit in the form of some brand.
How quickly the goodwill mutates and the wolves turn to snatching at the flesh of the fallen influencer whose cries only ever resemble those tics already spoken of. The affections of society are fickle at best, and it may be easier to be hated from the outset rather than to go through the ignominy of suffering the downfall of so many influencers.
Achieving Immortality
Nothing could be more human than the knowledge that all of us must die and that a certain existential crisis must occur at some point. A way to move beyond this limitation is to achieve immortality such as leaving fond memories in the minds of our families although this cannot be considered true immortality. The birth of social media and branding offers another way, and all it requires is that one becomes amorphous and shadowy, defined only when its flux takes the appearance of a logo.
But I would argue that this too is not true immortality. I would also argue that the sacrifice of form is not worth the eventual illusory sense of self-worth or the resentment of others. Dying unknown is not the tragedy, to die as an illusion without ever having taken the time to define ourselves might be considered the true tragedy.
Thus resentment of an influencer seems paradoxical, since there is nothing corporeal or substantial there to resent.
Final thoughts
An individual rarely, if ever, mistakes their reflection in the mirror for their true selves. It is a wonder then that we make the mistake of ascribing individuality to an influencer who has moved beyond the realm of independent expression and into the realm of immortality by branding.
In fact, resentment, envy and jealousy seem absurd when considering the nature of the sacrifice which has been performed to achieve the final branded becoming of the influencer.
It should be noted that the transformation is not inevitable and plenty of influencers who achieve through social media a degree of financial freedom are able to maintain free thought.
It may be beneficial that instead of developing resentment of an influencer whose success relies on self-identification with branding, that we recognise the potential existential crisis which has precipitated the transformation.
Furthermore, I would suggest that the viewer of such influencers leave the creature where it is and wait for it to regain substance and individuality.
