Discernment in the Age of Influencing
The line between Media Literate and Paranoid Freak isn’t quite as blurry as it once was. As postmodernity consumes us, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the constant marketing and product placement in shared cultural spaces—specifically across social media.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, which used to be hubs for creativity (albeit sprinkled with advertisement), have become the very vessels of advertising itself. At every turn, an exchange of capital takes place; these platforms are no longer a cultural or ideological marketplace, but rather a maze of ads disguised as helpful suggestions.
Paradoxically, this concentration of capitalism works against itself; when 8 out of 10 TikTok videos are people being paid to sell you a product, the 2 videos in which genuine suggestions or stories emerge will inevitably fall flat.
To be aware of late stage capitalism and influencer culture is to be painfully aware of it… which brings me to my main question: how do you get REAL suggestions for products? How do you know which products are actually worth buying, rather than which ones are being sold to you under the guise of storytelling and very casual product placement?
The art of practicing discernment in the age of influencing is as ever-evolving as the media landscape itself. The solution? I suggest the following tried and true methods for finding products you’ll actually love.
Ask Your Friends
As simple as it sounds, asking for advice from your friends is an obvious path for a reason—it works. Before you spend hundreds of dollars trying out products you may not even like, find out what the experience has been from the muses in your own life.
Take Inspo From Celebrity Makeup Artists
Think about the beauty looks that stick in your mind. The most glam, mesmerizing makeup looks from red carpets have all been executed to perfection by a makeup artist. One way to cut through the noise is to find which makeup artists your beauty inspirations use, and comb through their socials. Go to their Instagram or YouTube channels and take note of the products they wield for recommendations that will actually hold some weight.
The Holy Grail - Vogue Beauty Secrets
A bona fide classic. Long heralded as the inspiration for It Girls, Vogue Beauty Secrets videos give an authentic, genuine look into the products that your favorite celebrities and models swear by. It’s the perfect way to get true product suggestions, while also seeing their technique. I truly can’t recommend this method enough.
