In today’s world, we don’t just buy products; we buy lifestyle, dreams and social status. Influencers are the new agents of capitalism shaping what we desire, how we live and what we consider success.
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In today’s world, we don’t just buy products; we buy lifestyle, dreams and social status. Influencers are the new agents of capitalism shaping what we desire, how we live and what we consider success. Most of us rarely stop to question why we buy, follow or desire certain products, because capitalism has made consumption feel natural, even necessary. Today, the problem is no longer scarcity but abundance.
Influencers do more than just sell products; they promote lifestyle, aspirations and social status that encourage constant consumption. This effect is visible even in our local context. In Nagaland, the gap between the rich and poor is enormous. While corruption plays a role, inequality is reinforced by deeper systemic and cultural factors, including consumerism, media influence and social pressures that promote idealised lifestyles, encouraging overconsumption and measuring success in terms of wealth.
After the COVID, the trend of so-called influencer culture is gaining traction, especially in Nagaland with the rise of social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and others. Today, young people use social media to earn, posting sponsored products, documenting Vlogs on travel, daily lifestyles, food, fitness, agriculture and village life. Even content that seems traditional can encourage consumption. By emphasising the local food, tools, local crafts, or daily activities in attractive, inspirational and aesthetic ways, influencers create desire for these products and activities.
On the surface, this seems positive, but what if we pause and look beyond? Is the goal only to generate income, or do these trends have deeper effects on creators and audiences beyond financial gain? The impact of this culture is clear in Nagaland, where influencer culture has grown to the point of hosting Nagaland Influencers Summit 2025, held from October 18 to 20 at the Heritage Old DC Bungalow in Kohima, which included awards categories such as Beauty and Glamour Creator Award, People’s Choice Award, Fashion Voice of the Year award, and many more.
These awards and recognition can motivate the influencers to create more content, maintain aesthetic standards and attract more sponsorship, encouraging them to promote lifestyles and trends that align with consumers’ interests. For followers, the awards serve as a standard, subtly motivating imitation and encouraging youth to measure success based on social media visibility rather than personal or cultural values. On a broader level, the summit becomes more than a celebration. It demonstrates how attention, fame and recognition function as tools within capitalist systems, turning social influence into a form of economic power. Influencer culture in Nagaland is more than just a passing trend. It acts as a lens through which we can see capitalism at work, with likes, followers and prestige serving as a new kind of currency in Nagaland.
For the award winners, it might look like one’s hard work has finally paid off, but if we look deeper, these awards can be seen as an illusion. Beneath the surface, capitalism uses praise, titles, awards, fame and status as a tool to manipulate people. Through these titles, influencers are guided sometimes unknowingly to promote capitalist ideology. In doing so, they also influence the younger generation to follow their footsteps, creating a false idea of success.
Another serious concern is that these effects go beyond the economic sphere. One must realise that when influencers produce videos, they become the commodity itself because when they sell the product they are selling themselves as well, i.e., their personality, their personal image, skills, private life, their grief, heartache, even to the extent where their own emotions become “brand”. This influencer culture is no longer about creativity but selling oneself.
Consequently, influencers have now become part of an attention economy where attention itself becomes a commodity. Today, many use their popularity to promote car brands, hotels, cafes, beauty products, often sponsored yet presented as authentic recommendations. Beyond products, they sell the idea of an imaginary perfect life. We may think we are making our own choice but in reality capitalism is quietly choosing for us. Every post, story or reel is meticulously curated to attract attention, converting followers into consumers. This is the illusion capitalism thrives on by encouraging constant desire and consumption. In this way, influencers are both a product and tool of capitalism to keep people buying.
But of course, some might argue that “at least influencers are earning”; while that’s true, we must ask: at what cost? This question itself reveals how deeply the capitalist system has now shaped our thinking. Yes, they are earning, but who earns more? Creators generate content, yet platforms like Instagram and YouTube extract far greater profit, making a huge surplus value out of it. And money does bring comfort but it does not guarantee freedom; it only means you are actively engaging in your own exploitation. The tragedy of our time is not that we are chained, but that we have learned to love the chains that bind us i.e., buying products and lifestyles we do not truly need, all shaped by content. So next time, before you double tap through any feed, ask yourself: am I enjoying this for myself or am I chasing someone else’s idea of a perfect life.
Estella Kesen
Sovima, Dimapur