Is It Influence or Manipulation? How to Be a Smarter Consumer
I remember the first time I felt part of “something bigger than myself,” - which I realized later was just a marketing shtick used to attract people like me. I was in my mid-twenties, stuck in a corporate job I did not want to stay in, and joined an MLM that promised me things like financial freedom, a dream lifestyle, and a tight-knit community of like minds. The messaging was intoxicating: Be your own boss. Live on your own terms. Build a business from your phone.
I was all in.
I hustled, I posted, I sold the dream. And for a while, it worked. I was able to quit my job and go full-time in this MLM. But the deeper I got, the more I realized that this wasn’t about personal growth or empowerment. It was about phoniness, manipulation, and the illusion of success.
We repeated the same slogans, chased rank after rank, and fawned over the top earners like they were gods. And when someone questioned the system? They were shunned. When I left this MLM to start my own freelancing business, I lost nearly every “friend” I had made—except for the few who saw through it all, just like I had. It was an eye-opening wake-up call, almost like I was pulling myself out of some matrix and waking up to see the reality of just how toxic these spaces can be. After I left, I experienced online bullying that got so out of hand that I reported it to the corporation and spoke about my experiences publicly, to which I was slapped with a warning to no longer speak about anything that had taken place or there would potentially be legal repercussions. They wanted to bury it all and not let it get out about just how dangerous involving yourself in these spaces can become.
Fast forward to today, and MLM culture has evolved into something much more insidious. Now, instead of just seeing it within pyramid-style companies, we see it everywhere. Influencers, celebrity social media personalities, and so-called online gurus are running the same playbook—just on a much larger scale. And it’s terrifying.
Watching Netflix’s new series, Apple Cider Vinegar, brought all of these memories flooding back. The show reveals the dark side of social media wellness influencers, exposing how unqualified, capital-driven personalities profit off pain, false hope, and unchecked power. The scary part? Some of the people mentioned in the series are still actively running businesses today, continuing to push misinformation, questionable health advice, and unethical business practices.
The Pseudo-Cult of Online Influencers
In today’s digital world, we don’t just follow influencers—we worship them. We take their word as gospel, let them shape our buying habits, and even allow them to influence major life decisions. And yet, most of these people have little to zero qualifications to be giving out advice on health, wellness, business, or mental health.
But does that stop them? Absolutely not. Because profit comes before ethics.
Big corporations have latched onto influencer culture, backing these individuals with sponsorships, brand deals, and partnerships—often without fact-checking their credibility. They don’t care if someone is spreading harmful misinformation as long as they can generate sales. The incentive is clear: The bigger the engaged following, the bigger the paycheck.
My Personal Experience in the Influencer Economy
Working with wellness brands over the years has given me a first-hand look at just how toxic and predatory this space can be. I’ve collaborated with individuals who have direct ties to some of the very influencers exposed in Apple Cider Vinegar. I’ve watched clients push pseudoscience as a universal solution, use fear-based marketing to manipulate their audiences, and even withhold payments—treating contractors and creatives as disposable resources rather than valued collaborators.
By the end of 2024, I reached a turning point. I chose to let go of several clients in the wellness industry—specifically those whose messaging, offers, and ethical practices (or lack thereof) felt like they were too focused on profit to realize the potential harm they were causing. It wasn’t just a business decision; it was a necessary realignment with my values. The deeper I went into this work, the clearer it became that I could no longer ignore the disconnect between my personal ethics and the behaviors I was witnessing behind the scenes.
This experience has fundamentally changed how I approach potential clients, particularly within the wellness space. Again and again, I’ve seen a troubling pattern: the polished, aspirational personas people present online often don’t match who they are behind the curtain. When you work closely with a business, you see everything—the strategy, the manipulation, the unspoken realities they don’t share publicly. More times than I can count, I’ve been stunned by the contradictions between the image they cultivate and the truth of how they actually operate.
That said, I want to be clear—this isn’t a sweeping generalization of the entire industry. In fact, as a Studio, we are incredibly fortunate to have built deeply aligned, ethical, and fulfilling partnerships with many of the people we support. That’s why I’ve hesitated to speak about this side of things for so long—I never want to position myself as some infallible model of ethical business. I’m constantly learning, making mistakes, and growing. But one thing we do take incredibly seriously as a Studio is ethics. We thrive when we work with others who share that commitment. And in nearly every instance where we’ve faced challenges or misalignment with a client, it has stemmed from differences in values and integrity.
Social media has created the illusion that we know people simply because they share their lives online. But the reality? What we see is rarely the full story—and sometimes, it’s not the truth at all.
The Business of Selling False Hope
The influencer economy thrives on selling a dream—the promise of:
Community
Financial freedom
A healthier, happier life
The “secrets” to success
But what they rarely disclose is the fine print:
Community is only offered if you’re “winning” or buying in
Financial freedom is usually a mirage built on privilege and luck
Health claims are often unregulated and not backed by science
Success “secrets” are usually recycled, repackaged, and sold over and over again
The problem is that we keep falling for it. And in a world where misinformation spreads faster than truth, we have to start asking: How do we hold these people accountable?
How to Be a More Critical Consumer
Like many of us, I used to take things at face value when I first started using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. If someone with a massive following seemed confident, polished, and spoke with authority, I assumed they knew what they were talking about. Why wouldn’t they? They had a platform. People trusted them. It wasn’t until I started working behind the scenes with influencers and brands that I realized just how much smoke and mirrors go into crafting an online persona.
Now, I question everything. And I encourage you to do the same.
The next time someone gives medical, financial, or mental health advice, pause. Before you start changing your habits, buying their recommended products, or reshaping your worldview, ask yourself: Who is this person, really? Credentials matter, and in an era where anyone can sound convincing online, it’s more important than ever to verify their expertise.
Pay attention to transparency. Ethical brands and creators don’t just show you the highlight reel; they let you in on the full picture. They’re upfront about their experience, their knowledge gaps, and the fact that they don’t have all the answers. If someone’s life or business looks too perfect—if there’s never a sign of struggle, doubt, or nuance—consider what might be happening just outside the camera frame. Also, consider whether they are using their pain, struggles, or obstacles as the story they are largely profiting off of. To me, it is often a huge red flag if someone is using a big medical challenge as the foundation to which they try to validate their products or services. Especially when they lack a credentialed background.
And always, always follow the money. If someone’s advice conveniently funnels you into a paid program, an expensive supplement, or an exclusive mastermind, take a step back. Who actually benefits from this message? Are they offering real value or just a well-disguised sales pitch? Ethical selling exists—but so does manipulation, and the difference is often in how transparent someone is about their intentions.
We also need to stop relying on single voices as ultimate truth. It’s easy to get caught up in the charisma of one influencer, but real knowledge comes from diverse perspectives. Cross-check information. Look at research. Read beyond the echo chamber of a single person’s worldview.
And perhaps most importantly: trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. If asking questions is met with defensiveness, vague answers, or outright hostility, that’s a red flag. Ethical leaders encourage curiosity; manipulators discourage it. As well, pay attention to how folks respond to being called out / in. If they mock or make fun of the accountability being placed on them, run.
In a world where deception is as easy as applying a filter, our best defense is critical thinking. The more we learn to question, the less power we give to those who profit from our blind trust.
How Can We Hold Influencers and Brands Accountable?
I used to believe that accountability was something that just happened. If someone was lying, misleading people, or harming others, surely the truth would come out. But the more I worked online over the years, the more I saw how easy it was for bad actors to keep getting away with it—especially when no one was asking the hard questions.
The reality is that accountability doesn’t just happen. It requires us to demand it.
It starts with transparency. If someone is selling you a dream, a cure, or a transformation, ask for proof. Who are they? What experience or education qualifies them to give this advice? If they make a claim—about health, business, money, or personal growth—where’s the data to back it up? Ethical creators won’t shy away from these questions. They’ll welcome them.
And when misinformation spreads (because it will), we have the power to challenge it. Social media platforms have guidelines for reporting false claims—use them. It’s easy to assume that one report won’t make a difference, but collective action does. The more we push back, the harder it becomes for harmful narratives to go unchecked.
But it’s not just about calling out what’s wrong—it’s about uplifting what’s right. Ethical creators exist. There are people out there doing good work, sharing knowledge responsibly, and refusing to manipulate their audience for a quick profit. When we engage with them—by following, sharing, and supporting their work—we help shift the balance away from deception and towards integrity.
Speaking out also holds weight. If you’ve been misled, manipulated, or harmed by an influencer or brand’s false promises, your story matters. The reason so many harmful business models thrive is that people feel alone in their experiences. But when enough voices come together, the cracks in the façade become impossible to ignore.
And finally, perhaps the most powerful tool we have is where we put our money. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of businesses and creators we want to see thrive. When we stop rewarding unethical practices—when we pull our support from brands that exploit trust—we send a clear message.
Holding people accountable in the digital age isn’t easy. It takes effort, discernment, and a willingness to go against the current. But if we want a world where honesty and integrity matter more than follower counts and profit margins, it’s a responsibility we can’t afford to ignore.
A Society Addicted to Influence
At its core, the rise of influencer culture exposes a deep loneliness and vulnerability in our society. We crave connection, guidance, and validation. And in our search for belonging, we sometimes place trust in people who don’t deserve it.
But we can change that.
We can reject the illusion and start building communities based on authenticity, ethics, and accountability. We can reclaim critical thinking and stop allowing capitalism to manipulate our pain for profit.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about marketing.
It’s about the kind of world we want to live in.
Until next time…
Natalie Brite - DoGoodBiz Studio
