Why TikTok Influencers Are Getting Flak for Using Filters
Reading Time: 4 minutesYou may have noticed TikTok influencers receiving criticism for using filters in sponsored content. But why is this the case?
Part of the fun of posting on social media is editing your images and videos to make them more appealing. But creators sometimes take this too far. It becomes especially problematic when filters are used on sponsored videos.
TikTok influencers are getting a lot of flak for adding filters to their videos. But why is this the case?
TikTok Influencers Are Getting Flak for Using Filters
TikTok is usually not filled with the drama you could expect from apps like Twitter and Instagram. That’s mostly because the TikTok community encourages you to be yourself. You don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not or misrepresent yourself in any way.
In fact, it’s this freedom to be oneself that makes TikTok creators stand out and, in some cases, go viral. But the drive to land on TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) and gain more followers on TikTok can make creators behave in ways that are unbecoming of the TikTok community.
In 2022, TikTok influencers started getting a lot of flak for using filters. It’s not necessarily the use of TikTok filters that’s a problem, but rather how influencers use them. Influencers have been increasingly using filters on sponsored videos, which makes audiences give them the side eye.
For example, TikTok influencer Mikayla Nogueira received backlash for using a filter on this sponsored video for a YSL foundation. You can clearly see the difference between the filtered and unfiltered parts of the video. In fact, the filter is so exaggerated you can no longer see the lines on her face at the end.
The use of heavy filters has become so problematic that notable influencers and organizations have drawn a line in the sand. For instance, influencer and founder of Huda Beauty, Huda Kattan, committed to stop using filters in 2021.
In February 2021, the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) banned the use of misleading filters by influencers and celebrities in ads for cosmetic products.
As stated in an ASA blog post:
‘Influencers and advertisers promoting beauty products, and indeed any other products, are therefore advised to avoid applying filters to photos or videos which are directly relevant to the product being advertised and which are likely to exaggerate the effect the product is capable of achieving.’
The ban follows a call by influencer and make-up artist Sasha Pallari for advertisers to stop misleading social media audiences by adding filters to ads in 2020. Pallari went on to report this behavior to the ASA.
Why TikTok Influencers Are Getting Flak for Using Filters
There are several reasons why the use of filters by influencers is frowned upon on TikTok. Let’s have a look at some of those reasons below.
1. It’s Not in Line With TikTok Culture
While TikTok offers countless filters, they’re meant to enhance your videos and make them fun. But using them in ad campaigns and sponsored posts isn’t in keeping with TikTok’s culture of authenticity.
This is especially true if the filters exaggerate the effects of the product you’re promoting. For instance, filters shouldn’t make the beauty product you’re using give you an airbrushed look, as no product can do that.
2. Viewers End Up Wasting Their Hard-Earned Money
Influencers’ fans and followers trust their reviews. Some influencers have built cult followings such that whatever products they promote on their pages get sold out in stores. Unfortunately, in many cases, their followers are everyday people—students and hardworking individuals—who aren’t wealthy. Neither do they lead the affluent lifestyles that some influencers portray online.
Instead, they use their hard-earned cash to buy the products pushed by their favorite influencers. When those influencers post dishonest reviews, their followers end up wasting their money. While TikTok users are accountable for how they spend their money, it’s the responsibility of influencers to be honest about the products they promote. This has also led to the rise of de-influencing on TikTok, where creators call out over-hyped products and trends.
3. Influencers Push Content Instead of Value
Influencers typically have good intentions for their social media platforms when starting out. However, they can lose their way down the line, especially when they start making money online. That’s when some influencers start prioritizing aesthetics over value.
This isn’t ideal because influencers end up trading off integrity for perfection. Their allegiance is to the brands that pay them, so they edit their videos to make products look more effective than they are. The more sales they make, the more deals they’ll get from those brands. It makes one wonder how honest paid reviews from TikTok influencers are.
4. It Puts Others Under Pressure to Look Perfect
Unfortunately, not everyone has an eye for filtered content. Some audiences, especially younger ones, take influencers’ videos at face value. They truly believe that the beauty products portrayed by influencers can make you look perfect or more attractive.
This puts audiences under pressure to attain perfection. It’s especially not ideal for younger audiences or those with mental health concerns.
5. It’s False Advertising
Slapping a filter onto a sponsored video for a beauty or cosmetic product is false advertising. Influencers who do this mislead their audiences regarding the product’s results. False advertising is unethical, and it could lead to a lack of trust from your TikTok audiences.
Social Media Audiences Want Authentic and Honest Influencers
Social media is changing. There is a growing call for more honest, ‘real’, and raw content from creators and influencers. Users want to know the truth about the products reviewed by influencers, but will influencers heed the call? Time will tell.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/why-tiktok-influencers-criticized-for-filters/
Ref: makeuseof
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