The “deinfluencing” movement: Break away from trendy spending

Written by: Gabriella Grundy

If you are active on social media, you have likely come across targeted advertisements that are based on data such as your demographic information, web interactions and browser history. Additionally, you have probably seen various influencers come up in your recommended feed, also based on the aforementioned personal information. 

In recent years, influencer marketing has been on the rise, with more businesses opting to substitute traditional advertising for paid product endorsements by influencers, in hopes of reaching a large audience of potential consumers. 

A great example is the popularization of the Stanley cup, a now-trending drinking tumbler you might have seen sported by numerous individuals or that you yourself may own. Initially targeted to blue-collar workers and outdoorsmen, the 110-year-old Stanley brand saw a revival a few years ago when several female influencers began raving about the now-ubiquitous Quencher cup on their platforms. According to a CNBC article, Stanley’s revenue increased from $73 million in 2019 to $402 million in 2022 — a 450 percent jump in just three years.

So, what’s the big deal? The key is that influencers have to spend money to make money. This means that they actually make a profit from buying products, then filming themselves using said products and influencing their audience to buy them. Ashlee LeSueur, one of the influencers who pioneered Stanley’s boost in popularity, took the risk of purchasing a wholesale order of 5,000 tumblers to sell directly to her followers — a risk that greatly paid off.  

On the other hand, people who are not influencers are simply spending money. This is where the “deinfluencing” movement comes in. Deinfluencing is a social media trend, piloted by “deinfluencing influencers” (a pretty ironic term, right?).

According to social media analyst Kris Ruby, deinfluencing can be defined as “[Discouraging] consumers from buying certain products that the deinfluencer has found to be indulgent, ineffective or not worth the money.” Deinfluencers also address sustainability concerns, as social media advertisements are thought to contribute to a substantial increase in demand and, consequently, overconsumption.

Not everyone is sold on the deinfluencing movement, however. Content creator Aria Connor says, “A lot of the people participating in the deinfluencing trend are more interested in making people feel bad for spending their money in a way that doesn’t align with the deinfluencer’s values or budget.” Connor boils deinfluencing down to differences of opinions.

While this can be true in some cases, Paige Pritchard, financial coach and founder of the website “Overcoming Overspending,” has a different take. “The real meaning of deinfluencing is being able to be on [social media] and be inspired by something you see, rather than be influenced by it,” says Pritchard. “[Influencer culture] is meant to create a sense of inadequacy and lack in your current life,” which furthers the compulsion that people may feel to purchase certain things so that they can have the “perfect” life promoted by the influencers they watch.

If you find yourself compulsively spending money on trendy products and want to deinfluence yourself, Pritchard offers a lot of awesome, free advice on her @overcoming_overspending page on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Pritchard tends to focus on shifting your mindset to find contentment in what you already own, taking inspiration from influencers and content creators rather than being influenced to make purchases. Opinion TikToker @michelleskdl also creates deinfluencing videos that name specific products for which significantly cheaper alternatives are available.

As the world of social media continues to advance, it’s important to be aware of the effects that influencer culture can have. While it certainly has the capacity to be inspirational, don’t let it make you feel inadequate — and don’t let it drain your wallet.