One’s Vulnerability is Another’s Profit

How much longer should we allow our children to be poisoned and corrupted by so called “fitness influencers” who profit from body-shaming and manipulation while creating a toxic environment? As everyone knows, smartphones can deliver guilt, shame, and unrealistic expectations to those that are immersed in this negative environment. In the past, newspapers and TV couldn’t shame us, as “the news” was always about someone else. But now, social media knows all of our secrets and pushes out content that is unique to each and every one of us. Apps like Facebook, which set the stage for the creation of  even more user specific apps, have learned what we want and what appeals to us. All of this change has revolutionized the way we live life for the worse. 

Positive role models in the mid to late 20th century, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, have revolutionized the fitness industry and inspired many to better themselves physically. The industry was revolutionized by responsible teaching and honesty, but now it seems that people are becoming more selfish and greedy. Back then, people only discovered Schwarzenegger’s advice through word of mouth, the daily paper/magazines, or t.v.. We might think that because of advances in technology, today’s influencers could do so much more than they did in the 1900’s, but unfortunately many misuse their platform in ways that harm the viewers.  The article, Social Media Fitness Influencers: Innovators and Motivators, quotes from a study conducted by Dr. Jonah Berger, a professor at the Wharton School, which revealed that “88% of consumers were highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer.” We blatantly follow the advice of people looking to scam us online without even thinking twice because we think they are there for our own benefit, but in reality, they are there to grow their name or brands. These new influencers hold all the power, and when they choose to use it for manipulation instead of motivation, is the issue plaguing social media. 

Unfortunately, the power that has been used to inspire individuals in the fitness world in the past, is being replaced with ostentatious behavior, mainly due to a lack of responsibility and lack of acknowledgement of their wrong doings. 

First of all, these crooked influencers lie in almost every post they upload. As seen in the article, Olympian’s Career Tainted by Steroid Allegations, by Deborah Tedford, Olympic sprinter Marion Jones was caught lying about her steroid use. Although her scandal wasn’t presented through social media, it was still broadcasted on television, and at that time she was a highly respected fitness influencer for the female community performing on one of the biggest stages in the world, the Olympics. 

The three-time gold medal winner has now pleaded guilty Friday to charges connected to steroid use in a federal court in White Plains, N.Y. — after persistently denying that she ever used performance-enhancing drugs.

At least in the past, people such as Schwarzenegger were open about their steroid use from the very beginning, making it impossible for men to believe that his work can be naturally obtained. In turn, this does not create false hope for males, whereas females viewed Jones as inspirational, but her success was not natural. Why do toxic influencers feel the need to create false hope and narratives for people that see their success as motivation? Lying isn’t something that influencers who value their audience would do.

Second, influencers that flaunt their unattainable bodies lead young viewers to obtain the feelings of anxiety and shame when they are trying to reach those same milestones naturally, without the help of any external supplements. Increasingly, the younger the population’s reality is often distorted when viewing social media, creating a dangerous environment for them to be immersed in. The article, Two-thirds of schoolchildren would be happy if social media didn’t exist, study reveals, by Liz Connor, mentions that “52% of students surveyed claim that social media makes them feel less confident about their physical appearance.” Being on social media surrounded by fake news, stories, and manipulative people negatively alters the mood of the young viewers.

Finally, irresponsibility within the fitness industry leads to desperation within the youth. When easily altered minds are presented with an impressive physique and see the attention that body can present, they may automatically want that for themselves. Even if people know that steroids are not healthy, young teens may feel pressured to take them, as they see that having an impressive physique is the “standard” for receiving attention nowadays. What’s even more frustrating though, is that teens who already know the side effects of external supplements, such as steroids, still sometimes succumb to the pressure and use them. 

The Taylor Hooton Foundation agrees that teens who struggle with obtaining a “perfect” body feel immense pressure when they see the results of performing enhanced substances on other individuals similar in age. 

Our youth are exposed to images every day that tell them what they are “supposed” to look like.

Already prevalent, the contribution of manipulative influencers combined with social media can be deadly to one’s mental health, but it can also corrupt their interpretation of what it means to be healthy in the physical sense. Many think that physical health problems only stem from steroid use, but what they fail to realize is that dissatisfaction with our bodies can lead to eating disorders as well. People may tend to diet to extreme levels or consume extreme amounts of food in hope of gaining muscle mass. 

The associations of social media use with both muscularity dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms were strong with apps such as Instagram. 

Irresponsibility within the fitness community is not just spreading false information, it’s teaching kids that everyone should look a certain way and do the same things to reach those results. The people of this world right now are failing to normalize the right things, the things that inspire and create motivation. Instead, personal agendas and improper guidance is being pushed to those looking to make a healthy change in their lives. 

Recently, the whole idea of the body positively has become very prominent from the responsible side of social media, but undoubtedly there will still be those immoral influencers who irresponsibly manipulate newcomers, promote their branded equipment that is claimed to be better than other brands just to make a quick buck, and lie about their process of how they got to their present level. Getting these influencers to acknowledge their past mistakes and ensuring that new influencers do not continue down the same path is crucial in making our youth and people already familiar with the fitness industry feel comfortable and safe.

Fitness influencers who partake in harming our children should feel shameful. Accountability and responsibility needs to be focused upon, and the consequences to those who are failing to be accountable need to be reinforced. Fear of punishment needs to be spread widely throughout the fitness influencer community to ensure that our youth is protected and not left vulnerable. Recklessly endangering the youth is not more important than wanting to show off your body or making a side hustle.

How do toxic influencers recklessly endanger our youth though?

Bogus fitness influencers jeopardize our youths’ physical and mental health by peddling dangerous substances and advice. The five billion dollar steroid industry continues to grow every year with the help of illicit sales targeted towards our impressionable youth.

So called “fitness influencers” are subliminally promoting steroid use to their young audiences, allowing themselves to profit off of their vulnerability. Chris Hemsworth, more widely known as “Thor,” is just one influencer at the epicenter of this problem plaguing the internet. With somewhere around 56 million followers on Instagram, Hemsworth had recently used the app to promote his new fitness platform, Centrfit, which claims to help us train like himself, leading many to believe that they themselves will end up with the same results he has accomplished from multiple years of hard work combined with supplement use. It is unethical for fitness influencers to make us pay $120 for phony workouts and diets that are promoted on platforms like CentrFit that sends false expectations to the buyers, making them think that they can obtain “ultimate physiques” without dangerous supplements. 

Steroid abusers often weigh out the pros and cons to steroid use, and yet still find themselves succumbing to their desires, leaving them addicted to the changes they see from “juicing.” In an interview published on Insider, social media influencer James Ellis stated that high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and liver damage were outweighed by the benefits, which included popularity, respect, and receiving accolades. Allowing these influencers to ignore the bad side of steroids, while also being dishonest about using, profusely rots our children’s minds by altering their perception on what is achievable naturally. 

Just one dose of steroid supplements can derail a hopeful kid from a happy and normal life. What starts off as “this is a one time thing,” can quickly change to years of steroid abuse and addiction. Steven Dowshen, in “Are Steroids Worth the Risk?,” states that they are addictive because when users stop taking steroids, they face severe withdrawal symptoms, some of which include insomnia, mood swings, and depression, problems no developing teen should ever face.

Fitness influencers already know that steroids and cheap supplements come with a long list of negative side effects, yet they still advertise them. The influencers’ posts that promote these substances are shameless, irresponsible, and mis-informative sale pitches disguised as helpful advice just to generate profit from vulnerable newcomers. Fitness hopefuls are tricked into following highly specific social media posts that are essentially supplement promotions followed by hyperlinks to purchase them. In an article on Digital Citizens Alliance, more than a third of those who participated in a study containing more than 2,000 participants, claimed to have purchased the drugs online. Unsurprisingly, a large percentage of those who admitted to steroid use also admitted to experiencing negative side effects, which is mainly due to the fact steroids and unsafe supplements cause physical harm in our youth’s growing and maturing bodies. 

The possession and sale of steroids without a prescription is illegal in the United States. Since unprescribed steroids are not legal, it wouldn’t make any sense as to why so many teens have access to them. Evidently, there are many loopholes that allow our youth to obtain possession of these harmful drugs. The article, Teens and steroids: A dangerous combo, published by the Federal Drug Administration, states “4.9% of males and 2.4% of females in highschool have used steroids at least once in their lives.” We must crack down on sellers of both real and fake (but equally dangerous) steroids that can lead to addiction after a single dosing cycle.

Because our youth is susceptible to the manipulation glamorized by social media, there is no doubt that more teens will fall victim to the misguidance that is being spread by influencers who only look to serve themselves. A report on steroid use and social media, posted on the Digital Citizens Alliance, states, “celebrities use social media sites such as Instagram or YouTube to create the image of modern glamor that increasingly leads men and women to buy APEDs online.” Influencers such as Hemsworth and Ellis thrive off of taking advantage of newcomers to make money and grow their brands, but the problem is that they do not see the unintentional harm and misguidance that they are causing. 

Additionally, with the advancements with how we share and receive information, social media is pushing an agenda that does not make teens feel comfortable in their own skin. Comparing our results to the results exaggerated by these toxic influencers is doing way more harm than good. An article posted on the National Institute of Drug Abuse, mentions a study stating that the years of 2011 to 2015 coincide with rapid development of 12th grade students using steroids. It could be assumed that because apps like Instagram and Facebook began to flourish around the same time, these apps serve as the doorway to experiencing the misguidance that is leading many teens to fall down the rabbit-hole of steroid abuse. 

Dishonest influencers need to face the consequences for the negative and toxic environment that they have been creating for years. Because social media is the epicenter for misinformation, punishing those with massive followings and who are just in the industry for personal gain, should be top priority. Actions have consequences, and making these phony influencers see the damage our youth is enduring will make them look foolish and self-centered. Alternatively, considering that selling steroids to someone without a prescription is illegal, one can also make the argument that influencers promoting the use of steroids, to an audience that clearly can not purchase them legally due to their age, should face the legal ramifications. Although they aren’t as frowned upon as real “drugs,” steroids still come with their fair share of problems, and it should be top priority that we don’t allow them to slip into our youth’s hands. Once we crack down on those who criminally promote and lucratively sell steroids, we could see less dishonesty and danger being spread throughout the industry.

While fitness influencers firmly believe that the content they provide encourages and motivates their followers to behave responsibly, too many dirty influencers are reckless and dishonest.

Using social media as a source of motivation implies that the motivation does not actually come from within ourselves. Influencers may think that their physiques are inspiring the viewers, but their logic is flawed. They mistakenly seem to think that teenagers viewing others’ success will correlate to an increase in personal motivation. Justin Ross, a Denver-based sports psychologist and supporter of this flawed idea, states, “Seeing others succeed in sports can spur a drive of wanting to achieve for ourselves.” Many believe this when it comes to body physiques as well. Modeling an unnatural physique isn’t effective motivation because the viewers know that those bodies can’t be obtained without the use of harmful substances. The only thing these influencers might motivate our youth to do is to start “shooting” themselves up with steroids. Until we see more influencers become transparent, the thing driving the teenagers to obtain their dream goals will only be envy. 

The main thing separating the motivational and toxic influencers is the way they try to build their platform and name. Toxic influencers are egotistical, using their content as a way to flaunt their success.  One side delivers encouragement, while the other seeks personal gain only. The problem is that both types of influencers are referred to as role models. Acknowledging the good influencers is great, but we can’t forget that the bad ones severely outweigh the positive in the fitness world. Praising phony influencers, which is commonly done, serves our youth no justice. They see the acclaim that the influencers receive, and try to replicate that success without fully knowing the truth. In doing so, they put all of their energy into a task that isn’t even possible. Deceitful influencers are not role models regardless of their status on social media. Having thousands of followers does not equate to honesty, or credibility. 

The argument that toxic influencers can be labeled as role models can be rebuked once again. “Clean” influencers are transparent, emphasizing the “hard way” in fitness, while dirty influencers hide their past, allowing their followers to “zero in” on the fast path to “results at any cost.” When these dirty influencers, or “role models,” conceal their steroid abuse to their viewers, they are downplaying the danger of steroids to our impressionable youth. Dirty influencers don’t care about their viewers’ progress, so they subliminally push dangerous shortcuts. Not so much of a role model now, right? 

Dishonest influencers also claim that they are improving the lifestyles of the individuals they connect with. Going back to Chris Hemsworth, he claims that he is natural, but many experts believe that he uses steroids to maintain the physiques of “Thor.” Teenagers look at him and feel compelled to match the standards that these influencers are setting, while at the same time, those standards aren’t even the product of honest work. Additionally, the two different mindsets that are being implemented by both different types of influencers is exactly why the dirty influencers don’t improve their viewers’ lifestyles. Teens working out because dirty influencers make them feel “not good enough” is entirely different than positive influencers sending the message of living a healthy lifestyle, teaching that the way we live can always “be better.” Forcing teens to be stuck in the mindset that they are “not good enough” can lead to debilitating addictions and problems, such as body dysmorphia. 

Dirty influencers don’t think they are spreading the feelings of shame, guilt, and despair to their audiences. Rather, they think that their content provides the viewer with a sense of pride which allows them to “hold themselves accountable.” They think they are doing good, but in reality they are being clueless to the harm that they can cause. Children seeking solutions will have no ability to distinguish valuable advice from their manipulation. Our youth interacts with the content and ends up feeling that they have to compete with the influencers to reach those same physiques because these toxic influencers have been normalizing the abnormal for the past decade.

Social media can be a great place to receive advice, but it can also be a minefield that kills the unwary and vulnerable. Children seeking solutions will have no ability to distinguish valuable advice from misinformation. Posted on The Australian Fitness Academy, the article “How Social Media Has Influenced The Fitness Industry,” states, “Gone are the days where you need to pay for a magazine subscription, as so much valuable content is now posted online for free.” The author here believes that valuable fitness advice can be accessed easily, quickly, and affordably, as opposed to the past. Those that believe this come to the false conclusion that just because some valuable fitness advice is free, this does not prove that all valuable advice is free or that all fitness advice is even valuable, free or not. Influencers, such as Chris Hemsworth, quickly proved this wrong as they make their followers pay high prices for over glorified training programs and regimes that they could probably find elsewhere with just a little bit of research. We are forced into the dilemma of paying high prices for advice or trusting the content that is free. 

The positions held by many influencers can be right when regarding true fitness influencers. One influencer who should be praised is Noel Deyzel. Being one of the biggest fitness influencers on Tiktok, Deyzel is transparent about his steroid use, and also raises awareness of the dangers within the fitness community to his mainly young audience. Because his content is centered around being a great role model to our youth, bigger companies recognize this and have supplied him with endorsement deals. More influencers should strive to make content as honest and wholesomely as Deyzel does. Giving credit to influencers like Deyzel is essential, but we must not allow phony influencers to continue to be recognized and praised for their accomplishments, when they demonstrate no humanity or transparency to vulnerable adolescents.

References

Chris Hemsworth is exactly what’s wrong with the fitness industry – medium. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://bettermarketing.pub/chris-hemsworth-is-exactly-whats-wrong-with-the-fitness-industry-b9a74d0fe007

Commissioner, O. of the. (n.d.). Teens and steroids: A dangerous combo. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/teens-and-steroids-dangerous-combo

Connor, L. (2017, October 5). Two-thirds of youngsters would be happy if social media didn’t exist. Evening Standard. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.standard.co.uk/escapist/health/twothirds-of-schoolchildren-would-be-happy-if-social-media-didn-t-exist-study-reveals-a3651251.html

Corticosteroids market size 2022 and growth analysis. The Business Research Company. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/corticosteroid-global-market-report

Cyr, D., Chua, T. H. H., Boepple, L., & Blond, A. (2019, May 10). Comparing and modeling via social media: The social influences of fitspiration on male Instagram users’ work out intention. Computers in Human Behavior. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219301864 

Digital platforms on steroids – digital citizens alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.digitalcitizensalliance.org/clientuploads/directory/Reports/DCA_Platforms_on_Steroids_Report-Final.pdf

Dowshen, S. (Ed.). (2017, February). Are steroids worth the risk? (for teens) – nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/steroids.html

Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Krug, I., & McLean, S. (n.d.). The contribution of social media to body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and anabolic steroid use among sexual minority men. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29363993/

Hosie, R., & Dodgson, L. (2022, February 3). Steroids are rampant among fitness influencers, trainers and bodybuilders say. most use in secret, claiming their gains come from workouts and diet plans. Insider. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.insider.com/fitness-influencers-steroids-secret-dangerous-body-dysmorphia 

Is social media driving anabolic steroid use? us16.campaign. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://us16.campaign-archive.com/?u=49bd1b78fdfbe54419039d2f3&id=459cc471cf

Khore. (2022, July 27). How social media influenced the fitness industry: AFA Blog. Australian Fitness Academy. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/health/how-social-media-has-influenced-the-fitness-industry/

Lee, N. (2022, November 15). Does Chris Hemsworth use steroids? Ned Hardy. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://nedhardy.com/2022/06/03/chris-hemsworth-steroids/ 

Noonan. (2018). Social Media Fitness Influencers: Innovators and Motivators [University of Iowa].https://iro.uiowa.edu/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9984111976102771/01IOWA_INST:ResearchRepository

Paulson, P. (n.d.). Delusions of a dream physique: Influencers perpetuate unrealistic expectations. Spartan Shield. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://spartanshield.org/31453/student-life/delusions-of-a-dream-physique-influencers-perpetuate-unrealistic-expectations/#:~:text=When%20people%20start%20to%20become,for%20teenagers%20and%20younger%20people. 

Smithers, D. (2021, July 6). Bodybuilder Calls Out Fitness Influencers After Admitting Steroid Use. LADbible. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.ladbible.com/news/viral-bodybuilders-calls-out-fitness-influencers-after-admitting-to-steroid-20210706

Steroids fast facts. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5448/index.htm

Tedford, D. (2007, October 5). Marion Jones admits using steroids. NPR. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15026895

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, April 12). Who uses anabolic steroids? National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/steroids-other-appearance-performance-enhancing-drugs-apeds/who-uses-anabolic-steroids

Wellman, M. (2016, February 17). Here’s how social media is inspiring you to workout. The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/life/living-well/2016/02/17/how-social-media-is-inspiring-you-to-workout/80026366/ 

Yu, C. (2021, November 18). 7 ways to use social media to boost your workout motivation. Life by Daily Burn. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/social-media-workout-motivation/#:~:text=Social%20media%20doesn’t%20just,full%20of%20positive%20self%2Dtalk.