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A review by kendranicole28
Swipe Up For More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers by Stephanie McNeal
3.0
Like it or not, Influencers are a huge part of modern culture. They inform what we wear, the purchases we make, the recipes we cook, how we parent, and inevitably how we feel about ourselves. In this timely book, Millennial journalist Stephanie McNeal examines the ins and outs of the multibillion-dollar industry of content creation. McNeal takes us into the heart of Influencer world through the portraits of three popular Influencers (none of whom I knew before reading this book): fashion blogger Caitlin Covington, runner and plus-sized advocate Mirna Valerie, and mommy blogger Shannon Bird. McNeal shares the origin stories of each of these Influencers, and of the Influencer industry at large, describing the rewards and struggles of each woman. Beyond their individual stories, McNeal gives us a look into sites dedicated to snarking on Influencers; examines the relationship between Influencers and brands; looks at the expectations placed on Influencers to have appropriate takes on a range of cultural and political issues (asking whether or not this is fair, and exploring how it is handled by various Influencers); and questions the ethics behind mommy blogging and the commodification of minors within this profitable industry.
I have complicated thoughts regarding Influencer culture, so it’s not surprising that my thoughts on this book were also quite complicated. I enjoyed getting a closer look at the real lives of three prominent Influencers (though this would have been more meaningful if I had been familiar with these particular women). But I struggled with the book’s “fan girl” tone and overwhelming praise for an industry that I feel has done more harm than good. McNeal stays shallow on a subject that demands depth: I wanted more details on the nature of partnerships (especially the amount of money involved, as McNeal declines to answer these questions with real numbers and is disparaging towards those who are curious about how much money Influencers can make), and a closer look at the ways that Influencers spend their self-reported 100-hour workweeks. I also expected more of a journalistic take on the harmful nature of Influencer Culture—on both those who are being influenced AND the content creators themselves; McNeal is sympathetic towards the creators without holding them accountable for their questionable ethics and decisions, and also without accountability for those of us who are mindlessly consuming their content and contributing to cultural (and personal) degradation as we do so.
The book touches on the discrepancies between relatability and authenticity of Influencers, and how societal expectations have gradually shifted (moving beyond wanting Influencers who are aspirational to demanding that they be authentic and relatable above all else), and I wanted much more conversation around this particular challenge. Is it even possible for an Influencer making millions to remain relatable in a meaningful way? Is this truly what we want? When is authenticity being taken too far? When is transparency needed, and why . . . and how? So many questions that at least deserve discussion if not solutions.
This book was frothy and entertaining, but lacked the nuanced and unbiased reporting that I’d hoped for. McNeal’s own liberal politics and her gushing enthusiasm for Influencers in general (and for the three featured women in particular) overshadowed what might have been a productive discussion that needs to be had. McNeal says that her purpose in writing was to make a case for why Influencers matter. In that, she has succeeded, but she has not answered the question of whether or not they SHOULD matter, and to me that is the more important question that we all need to ask.
My Rating: 3 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
I have complicated thoughts regarding Influencer culture, so it’s not surprising that my thoughts on this book were also quite complicated. I enjoyed getting a closer look at the real lives of three prominent Influencers (though this would have been more meaningful if I had been familiar with these particular women). But I struggled with the book’s “fan girl” tone and overwhelming praise for an industry that I feel has done more harm than good. McNeal stays shallow on a subject that demands depth: I wanted more details on the nature of partnerships (especially the amount of money involved, as McNeal declines to answer these questions with real numbers and is disparaging towards those who are curious about how much money Influencers can make), and a closer look at the ways that Influencers spend their self-reported 100-hour workweeks. I also expected more of a journalistic take on the harmful nature of Influencer Culture—on both those who are being influenced AND the content creators themselves; McNeal is sympathetic towards the creators without holding them accountable for their questionable ethics and decisions, and also without accountability for those of us who are mindlessly consuming their content and contributing to cultural (and personal) degradation as we do so.
The book touches on the discrepancies between relatability and authenticity of Influencers, and how societal expectations have gradually shifted (moving beyond wanting Influencers who are aspirational to demanding that they be authentic and relatable above all else), and I wanted much more conversation around this particular challenge. Is it even possible for an Influencer making millions to remain relatable in a meaningful way? Is this truly what we want? When is authenticity being taken too far? When is transparency needed, and why . . . and how? So many questions that at least deserve discussion if not solutions.
This book was frothy and entertaining, but lacked the nuanced and unbiased reporting that I’d hoped for. McNeal’s own liberal politics and her gushing enthusiasm for Influencers in general (and for the three featured women in particular) overshadowed what might have been a productive discussion that needs to be had. McNeal says that her purpose in writing was to make a case for why Influencers matter. In that, she has succeeded, but she has not answered the question of whether or not they SHOULD matter, and to me that is the more important question that we all need to ask.
My Rating: 3 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook