The Dark Truth of Influencer Fame: The Hidden Struggles Behind the Glam
Mohd Naushad | Feb 22, 2025, 17:52 IST
Social media influencers often portray a glamorous lifestyle, but behind the scenes, many struggle with anxiety, burnout, and the pressure to stay relevant. This article explores the hidden mental health toll on influencers and their followers, who compare themselves to unrealistic online standards. With real-life examples from Indian influencers like Aashna Shroff and Kritika Khurana, it highlights the culture of validation, fear of irrelevance, and the growing need for digital well-being. Emphasizing authenticity, it advocates for a more mindful social media experience.
Scrolling through Instagram and YouTube, we often see influencers living what appears to be the perfect life—luxury vacations, flawless selfies, and endless smiles. But behind the polished aesthetic lies a reality far from the picture-perfect stories they share. The pressure to maintain an idealized version of life has taken a serious toll on the mental health of influencers and, equally, on their followers who compare their own lives to this curated perfection.
While social media offers fame, brand deals, and financial success, it also brings relentless scrutiny, unrealistic expectations, and a never-ending demand for content. Influencers are expected to be entertaining, relatable, and available at all times. The line between personal and public life blurs, leading to severe burnout and anxiety.
Take, for example, Indian influencer Aashna Shroff, who has been vocal about the mental toll of social media. She recently shared in a podcast how she struggled with anxiety due to the constant need to stay relevant. "There were days when I felt like if I didn’t post, I would disappear," she admitted, highlighting the relentless pressure that influencers face.
Similarly, Indian YouTuber Rohan Mehta, famous for his comedic sketches, recently opened up about his struggle with depression. In an emotional video that went viral, he spoke about how the need to constantly be funny drained him. "People expect me to be the funny guy all the time, but I’m human too. I have bad days, but social media doesn’t allow me to show that," he confessed.
While influencers deal with their own struggles, their carefully crafted content also impacts their followers. Seeing influencers lead seemingly perfect lives can create unrealistic expectations. Many people, especially teenagers and young adults, fall into the trap of comparison, leading to self-doubt, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2024 found that young people who spent more than three hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. The constant exposure to edited and filtered images creates an illusion of perfection that real life can never match.
For instance, 19-year-old college student Riya Sharma from Mumbai shared how following fitness influencers made her feel inadequate. "I would see these models with perfectly toned bodies and feel terrible about myself. I started skipping meals and over-exercising just to look like them," she admitted. It wasn’t until she realized that most of these influencers edited their pictures and had professional trainers that she began to regain confidence in her own body.
One of the biggest mental health challenges influencers face is their dependence on online validation. Their self-worth often becomes tied to likes, comments, and engagement. If a post doesn’t perform well, it can trigger anxiety and self-doubt. Additionally, the fear of becoming irrelevant is a major stressor. Social media moves fast, and the competition is fierce. Influencers must constantly evolve to stay relevant, leading to immense mental pressure. Some even resort to risky trends or controversial content to keep their audience engaged, further affecting their mental well-being.
Indian fashion influencer Kritika Khurana, popularly known as That Boho Girl, recently spoke about how social media validation impacted her self-worth. "The numbers dictated my mood. If my engagement dropped, I would feel anxious and start questioning my content and even myself," she revealed in a candid Instagram post.
Acknowledging these struggles, several influencers have started advocating for mental health awareness. Many are now openly discussing their struggles, setting boundaries, and taking breaks from social media.
The mental health crisis among influencers and their followers is a wake-up call to how social media affects our well-being. While influencers must learn to set boundaries and prioritize their mental health, followers should remind themselves that social media is not reality. Instead of idolizing perfection, we should embrace authenticity. Engaging with social media mindfully—by following creators who promote positivity, setting screen time limits, and remembering that everyone, including influencers, has struggles—can help create a healthier online space. The world doesn’t need more "perfect" influencers, it needs more real ones.
The Silent Struggles of Influencers
Struggler
While social media offers fame, brand deals, and financial success, it also brings relentless scrutiny, unrealistic expectations, and a never-ending demand for content. Influencers are expected to be entertaining, relatable, and available at all times. The line between personal and public life blurs, leading to severe burnout and anxiety.
Take, for example, Indian influencer Aashna Shroff, who has been vocal about the mental toll of social media. She recently shared in a podcast how she struggled with anxiety due to the constant need to stay relevant. "There were days when I felt like if I didn’t post, I would disappear," she admitted, highlighting the relentless pressure that influencers face.
Similarly, Indian YouTuber Rohan Mehta, famous for his comedic sketches, recently opened up about his struggle with depression. In an emotional video that went viral, he spoke about how the need to constantly be funny drained him. "People expect me to be the funny guy all the time, but I’m human too. I have bad days, but social media doesn’t allow me to show that," he confessed.
The Burden of Comparison: Followers Feeling Inadequate
Think Before Doing anything
While influencers deal with their own struggles, their carefully crafted content also impacts their followers. Seeing influencers lead seemingly perfect lives can create unrealistic expectations. Many people, especially teenagers and young adults, fall into the trap of comparison, leading to self-doubt, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2024 found that young people who spent more than three hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. The constant exposure to edited and filtered images creates an illusion of perfection that real life can never match.
For instance, 19-year-old college student Riya Sharma from Mumbai shared how following fitness influencers made her feel inadequate. "I would see these models with perfectly toned bodies and feel terrible about myself. I started skipping meals and over-exercising just to look like them," she admitted. It wasn’t until she realized that most of these influencers edited their pictures and had professional trainers that she began to regain confidence in her own body.
The Culture of Validation and Fear of Irrelevance
Validation
One of the biggest mental health challenges influencers face is their dependence on online validation. Their self-worth often becomes tied to likes, comments, and engagement. If a post doesn’t perform well, it can trigger anxiety and self-doubt. Additionally, the fear of becoming irrelevant is a major stressor. Social media moves fast, and the competition is fierce. Influencers must constantly evolve to stay relevant, leading to immense mental pressure. Some even resort to risky trends or controversial content to keep their audience engaged, further affecting their mental well-being.
Indian fashion influencer Kritika Khurana, popularly known as That Boho Girl, recently spoke about how social media validation impacted her self-worth. "The numbers dictated my mood. If my engagement dropped, I would feel anxious and start questioning my content and even myself," she revealed in a candid Instagram post.
Coping Mechanisms and the Need for Change
- Unfiltered Content Movement: Some influencers have started sharing unedited pictures and talking about their struggles with body image, anxiety, and burnout. This shift is helping break the illusion of perfection and making social media a more realistic space.
- Mental Health Breaks: Influencers like Dolly Singh have taken extended breaks from social media to focus on their mental health, showing that it’s okay to step away from the constant pressure.
- Raising Awareness: Some social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, have introduced features to remind users to take breaks, while mental health professionals are advocating for digital well-being education.