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New research unveils the "dark side" of social media influencers and their impact on marketing and consumer behaviour

Social media influencers (SMIs) pose psychological, health and security risks and need tighter regulation, a new study finds.

SMIs have revolutionised marketing, shaping consumer behaviour, brand strategies, and even societal norms. However, new research exposes a lesser-known side of influencer culture, one that raises ethical, psychological, and regulatory concerns.

A recent study by the University of Portsmouth systematically examines the negative impacts of SMIs, highlighting issues such as misinformation, endorsement of dangerous products, unrealistic beauty standards, the fostering of a comparison culture, deceptive consumption, and privacy risks.

With influencer marketing projected to reach an estimated $480 billion by 2027, companies increasingly rely on SMIs to promote products and foster consumer trust.

A Digital Marketing Institute (2024) survey found that 60 per cent of consumers trust influencer recommendations, with nearly half of all purchasing decisions being influenced by these endorsements. However, as influencer culture grows, so do concerns about its unintended consequences.

Many SMIs act as opinion leaders or experts within their respective areas, frequently reviewing products and leveraging their authority, expertise, or relationships with followers to influence purchasing decisions. Some inspire and entertain; others deceive and upset. The deception and damage, and their impact on consumption, need to be carefully regulated.

Yuksel Ekinci, Professor of Marketing and Sales at the University of Portsmouth

The paper, published in Psychology and Marketing, warns power of SMIs is creating a worrying consumer landscape. Unlike traditional celebrities, whose fame is typically rooted in institutional settings - such as acting, music, or sports - SMIs gain recognition through social media platforms, often relying on personal branding and consistent engagement with their audiences.

Yuksel Ekinci, Professor of Marketing and Sales at the University of Portsmouth, said: "Many SMIs act as opinion leaders or experts within their respective areas, frequently reviewing products and leveraging their authority, expertise, or relationships with followers to influence purchasing decisions. Some inspire and entertain; others deceive and upset. The deception and damage, and their impact on consumption, need to be carefully regulated."

This study organises the negative aspects of influencer marketing into six key themes:

1. Promotion of harmful products ? SMIs often endorse unhealthy or dangerous products such as diet pills, detox teas, and alcohol without full disclosure, influencing consumption habits, particularly among younger audiences.

2. Dissemination of misinformation ? many influencers, despite lacking expertise, spread false information about health, politics, and social issues, leading to widespread disinformation.

3. Reinforcement of unrealistic beauty standards ? by presenting filtered and curated images, influencers contribute to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and harmful beauty practices.

4. Fostering of comparison culture ? influencer-driven content fuels lifestyle envy and social anxiety, leading to negative self-comparison and diminished wellbeing.

5. Deceptive consumption practices ? some influencers engage in unethical behaviours such as undisclosed sponsorships, promotion of counterfeit goods, and misleading advertisements, undermining consumer trust.

6. Privacy concerns ? the extensive data collection and sharing by influencers raise significant security and regulatory issues, posing risks for both influencers and followers.

Social media influencers hold immense power over consumer decisions and cultural norms. While they provide entertainment, inspiration, and brand engagement, the unchecked influence of some SMIs can lead to serious ethical and psychological consequences. Our study highlights the urgency for both academic and industry stakeholders to address these challenges proactively.

Dr Georgia Buckle, Research Fellow in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at the University of Portsmouth

The study calls for more stringent oversight, increased transparency, and ethical marketing strategies to mitigate these risks. Researchers suggest the following strategies for policymakers and marketeers:

•Transparency and ethical compliance: brands must enforce clear disclosure policies to ensure responsible influencer partnerships.

• Regulation and consumer protection: governments should strengthen policies on influencer marketing to prevent deceptive practices and misinformation.

• Mental health awareness: companies and influencers must prioritize authentic content that promotes well-being rather than unattainable ideals.

• Data privacy protections: stronger safeguards and awareness campaigns are needed to protect users from privacy breaches and data exploitation.

Dr Georgia Buckle, Research Fellow in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at the University of Portsmouth, said: "Social media influencers hold immense power over consumer decisions and cultural norms. While they provide entertainment, inspiration, and brand engagement, the unchecked influence of some SMIs can lead to serious ethical and psychological consequences. Our study highlights the urgency for both academic and industry stakeholders to address these challenges proactively."

This research offers a critical framework for analysing influencer culture beyond its commercial benefits, emphasising the need for ethical marketing practices and a healthier digital ecosystem.

https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/new-research-unv eils-the-dark-side-of-social-media-influencers-and-their-impact-on-mark eting-and-consumer-behaviour

An English teacher implementing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology is designing a unit on media literacy using the text "New research unveils the 'dark side' of social media influencers" as anchor material. The lesson objectives include developing critical reading skills, expanding academic vocabulary related to marketing and psychology, and fostering critical thinking about digital culture. Aligning with Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) competências gerais emphasizing critical digital literacy and the disciplina Língua Inglesa's focus on expanding students' critical repertoires regarding English-language cultural products and practices, the teacher plans to scaffold student engagement with this complex authentic text. Considering second language reading theory, particularly Krashen's Input Hypothesis requiring comprehensible input (i+1), schema theory's emphasis on activating background knowledge, and BNCC's vision of English education as tool for critical citizenship, which instructional sequence demonstrates the most theoretically sound and pedagogically effective approach?

(a)

Have students silently read the text once, immediately administer multiple-choice test on isolated grammatical structures appearing in the text without addressing content or meaning, avoiding any discussion of influencer marketing or ethical issues.

(b)

Begin with pre-reading discussion activating students' prior knowledge about social media and influencers, introduce key vocabulary through contextualized examples, facilitate guided reading with comprehension checks and scaffolding questions, engage students in critical analysis comparing text's arguments with their personal experiences, and culminate with collaborative creation of media literacy guidelines addressing issues raised in the text.

(c)

Skip the reading entirely and lecture about dangers of social media while students passively take notes, then assign memorization of vocabulary lists unconnected to meaningful context or communicative purpose.

(d)

Distribute the text without pre-reading support, require students to translate every unfamiliar word using dictionaries individually, complete literal comprehension questions testing factual recall exclusively, avoiding any discussion of text's broader sociocultural implications or critical evaluation of influencer culture.