What DO Lifestyle Creators Owe Us When the World is On Fire?
Mirror selfies and coffee runs don’t exist in a vacuum.
What’s Going On?
Given the situation in LA, creator Courtney Park called out a disconnect to her fellow East Asian lifestyle-focused influencers in the metropolis:
“Why are you still posting about matcha spots and mirror selfies while your neighbors are being violently arrested?”
“No one is expected to talk about politics all the time,” she continues. “But it is incredibly weird to be posting everyday content when your neighbors are getting kidnapped.” (Nathan Park-Ramos made a similar plea.)
It’s not an isolated moment, and of course it isn’t limited to East Asian Angelenos. It’s the latest flare-up in a bigger tension that’s been growing for a while: What responsibilities do you have when you have a voice, but your content is built on curation rather than commentary?
What’s Driving It?
Not to be flippant, but there’s always something terrible happening – we’re in an “age of polycrisis” as
writes.CNN gave us the 24/7 news cycle – but social media made crisis personal and participatory. From Gaza to Sudan, the scroll delivers devastation right between Labubu fit checks and pop psych advice.
So when lifestyle creators keep posting like nothing’s happening, the dissonance hits hard. Influencer Haley Kalil triggered the “digital guillotine” off the back of the 2024 Met Gala with tone-deaf “let them eat cake” content (though she’s back to doing influencer stuff at the Tony Awards), but the debate continues to resurface.
And though established TikTokers like Dutch and celebrities like Doechii are among the many speaking up, it’s not always the easy option: Meredith Lynch says her political content is actively suppressed. Others stay silent out of fear of backlash, including losing potential brand deals.
One thing is clear: everything is political – including silence.
What Does It Mean?
For creators, it’s clear there’s a growing expectation to at least acknowledge that you’re aware of the world around you. Of course, public allegiance – on either side of the political spectrum – comes with consequences. But neutrality is becoming almost impossible – people want to know where you stand. Case in point: Connie Francis, whose 60s song Pretty Little Baby has been making waves, recently joined TikTok and ALL the top comments ask for whom she voted.
Many brands, meanwhile, still seek out creators who seem apolitical – when what they should be doing is finding ones whose values align. Because even in the middle of the purpose marketing debate, influencers are brand values in action – and if you can’t find one whose politics align with yours, you need to ask what you actually stand for.
Final Takeaway
Lifestyle creators may not be journalists or activists – but they’re definitely culture-shapers, with influence that blurs the line between personal preferences and public values.
No one expects nonstop political commentary. But when the world intrudes on the feed, how DO you start to speak up?
Sometimes it’s as simple as acknowledging what’s happening.
Other times, it means asking: what don’t I feel safe saying – and why?
Because even a small signal of awareness can cut through the noise.