In the age of social media rapidly rising, social media has made numerous stars out of the average person, and this has resulted in a new cultural phenomenon: the influencer. With millions of fans, contracts, and promises of overnight fame, platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have created a promised path to success. But behind the “filter,” strategically designed content, and sponsored endorsements lies a darker reality—it is characterized by greed, deception, and a rapid plummet to devastation.
The glamour of internet celebrity often comes at a huge cost. While influencers climb to the peak of online fame, they find themselves under gradually acquiring pressure to maintain their image, grow their fan base, and monetize every single aspect of their lives. The greed and desire to remain prominent have forced numerous influencers to abandon their values, blur lines of ethics, and, in the worst-case scenario, resort to criminal behavior.
While most influencers step into the limelight with extreme caution, a few notorious cases exist to prove how fame can go wrong. A distinguished family vlogger and parenting influencer, Ruby Franke turned into a notorious criminal overnight through her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers. Her channel had accumulated over two million subscribers and provided a perfect world of parenting and proper discipline. Behind the scenes, however, her videos raised concerns among viewers who sensed abusive treatment towards her children.
The suspicions circulating were all confirmed true in 2023 when Ruby Franke was arrested and later charged with multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. The authorities were informed that two of her children were gravely physically and mentally abused; this vital piece of information swarmed like a plague and ravaged her internet empire. The incident brought forward how social media conceals abuse in the semblance of entertainment and how influencers, plagued by the hope of garnering views and clout, can put unsafe practices in their content.
The sudden plummet of Ruby Franke is a wake-up call on how online parenting practices and unchecked authority can spiral out of control when no one is held accountable. Conversely, social media creation is not inherently toxic, as most creators utilize their platform for the greater good. In imperative circumstances, the respective platform punishes exploitation.
Platforms must be more effective in the surveillance of harmful content and ensuring the safety of susceptible users, especially where children are involved in the story. Furthermore, followers must also be more sagacious and alert, resisting the urge to idolize influencers irresponsibly. The rise and fall of former prominent influencers like Ruby Franke serve as cautious reminders: irresponsible fame can prove to be catastrophic, and the desire to achieve stardom, when pursued in the name of greed, can end up destroying the very existence it once built up.
