The issue with influencers

The+issue+with+influencers

Lainey Devlin, Copy Editor

While the rest of us have been staying inside and binging Netflix, influencers in LA specifically have been continuing to party similar to how they did during pre-pandemic life. After threatening the general public’s health, influencers and celebrities issued apologies but have not stopped their partying habits. This confusing cycle leaves many wondering why? The answer lies in the fame itself. When people gain a following, they tend to gain a sort of superiority or god complex which makes them feel above any rules and their consequences. 

These parties have taken place in private homes which makes patrolling them difficult, however, it does not lessen the danger to the public. People under 60 make up 50% of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles and they continue to spread the virus to those more vulnerable. Influencers and celebrities who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus continue attending parties and interacting with friends without understanding the gravity of the situation. With California leading in US coronavirus cases, influencers continue to fuel that fire and grow the case number. 

While the majority of us stayed inside for months due to fear, influencers appear to have never stopped their partying habits. Once people gain a following, they tend to also gain a superiority complex. Disbelief in consequences and lack of obedience to rules have always been evident in influencers, but during a worldwide pandemic, these symptoms of a superiority complex become much more dangerous. Influencers such as Jake Paul and Logan Paul have disobeyed rules and social norms time and time again, and received an internet shaming for it, but nothing has changed. The Paul Brothers as well as multiple other influencers continue to risk lives by continuously partying amid a worldwide pandemic. 

By shutting off the power and water to well-known party houses, the Los Angelos government starts cracking down to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The city officials have continuously said they do not condone any of the behavior seen by their most popular citizens and they express frustration and disappointment towards the non-stop partiers. 

While a multitude of influencers have issued apologies for their partying, few have stopped and most continue to spread the virus among LA’s residents. While puzzling to the majority, the influencers’ superiority complex is to blame for the rising case numbers in Los Angelos and across California.