How Deinfluencers Work & Their Impact on the Environment

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You are probably already familiar with the term’ influencer’. Until now, influencers often still play a role as guides in decision-making, especially regarding consumption. However, have you ever heard of the term deinfluencer?

In fact, deinfluencers are digital activists who indirectly educate people about sustainability through their content. Does their content encourage people to plant trees and clean up rivers? Of course not!

Curious about how deinfluencers work and what role they play in the environment? Check out the explanation here!

What Is a Deinfluencer?

Deinfluencers are the opposite of influencers. If influencers are people who recommend products and influence their audience to buy them, deinfluencers are people who encourage their audience to think more critically before making a purchase.

In this digital era, it is undeniable that influencers have a significant influence on people’s purchasing decisions, and, in fact, many audiences have become increasingly consumer-driven.

Even worse, some influencers also share inaccurate information about a product, resulting in the audience receiving a product with a quality that falls far short of expectations.

In response to this phenomenon, the trend of deinfluencing has emerged, where individuals concerned about promoting this trend are referred to as deinfluencers. However, it is essential to remember that deinfluencers do not prohibit consumption, but rather campaign for the importance of wise shopping habits.

Benefits of Deinfluencers

If we take a step back, the emergence of deinfluencers actually brings several advantages. Here are the benefits of deinfluencers that Warga Asri needs to know:

1. Helps Prevent Consumptive Behavior

Deinfluencers encourage others to think twice before making a purchase. This aims to prevent consumptive behavior, which is making a purchase without rational consideration, simply following the recommendations of others, even though they don’t really need it.

2. Sparking Creativity

In reality, many influencers recommend popular and often mainstream things. Conversely, deinfluencers encourage people to be creative with fresh ideas, new products, or perspectives that differ from the trends developing in society.

3. Promoting Natural Beauty

Maybe one type of influencer that Warga Asri often encounters is the beauty influencer. Many beauty influencers promote unrealistic beauty standards that can trigger feelings of low self-esteem in some people.

Deinfluencers are here to promote the importance of appreciating natural beauty and taking care of oneself in a healthier way, according to one’s needs and abilities.

Types of Deinfluencers

Just as influencers are divided into several types based on the products they recommend, so are deinfluencers. Here are some types of deinfluencers:

Anti-consumerism deinfluencers: They actively encourage the public or their audience to minimize purchases of unnecessary items. The activities of these deinfluencers are usually synonymous with the zero-waste or anti-fast fashion movements.
Minimalist deinfluencers: They encourage people to live a minimalist lifestyle by reducing the number of items they own. They campaign for the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity.
Honest reviewers: They actively review products fairly, deeply, and based on personal experience.
Product critics: This type of deinfluencer focuses on highlighting products that make exaggerated claims, when in fact they are not worth buying.

How Deinfluencers Work

Since deinfluencers encourage others to think more critically and logically before buying something, they also need to pay attention to specific methods in their communication. Here is an overview of how deinfluencers work:

1. Identifying Products Neutrally

In reality, no product is perfect or flawless. This is where deinfluencers encourage others to identify products objectively, by acknowledging their strengths and appreciating their weaknesses.

2. Providing Education on Sustainable Consumption

Sustainable consumption is a consumption pattern that focuses on fulfilling basic needs while limiting the use of natural resources so as not to cause negative impacts on the environment. This pattern is the opposite of excessive consumption.

Since deinfluencers encourage people to consume wisely, they also indirectly provide education on the risks and impacts of excessive consumption.

3. Building Financial Awareness

Ultimately, the two methods above lead to financial awareness. This is because by understanding products objectively and choosing essential products, a person will be more aware of their choices, not impulsive, and better able to manage expenses.

The Impact of Deinfluencers on the Environment

In the beginning, it was mentioned that deinfluencers encourage people to think logically and rationally before buying things. In fact, this is one of the principles of sustainable living.

Therefore, the impact of deinfluencers on the environment is quite significant. Starting from the encouragement to buy products with rational consideration, a person will avoid the habit of accumulating unused items.

If a person is more selective in shopping, the amount of packaging waste and items that quickly deteriorate will automatically decrease. Furthermore, if consumption decreases, demand for products will also decrease. As a result, mass production processes that contribute to carbon emissions will also decrease.

This aligns with research published in the Taylor & Francis Online Journal. It states that the role of deinfluencers can be maximized to shape consumer behavior and promote a sustainable lifestyle.

It has been proven that their success is influenced by credibility, authenticity, and altruism (a sincere desire to help).

That concludes our explanation of deinfluencers and their impact on the environment. Ultimately, it is no exaggeration to call deinfluencers agents of environmental conservation in digital media.

If deinfluencers can maximize their role on their platforms, you can also take on a role in other ways. Join Indonesia Asri and participate in various activities that have a positive impact on preserving Earth.

At Indonesia Asri, you can join in many exciting programs that support the spirit of environmentalism, one of which is #AksiAsri. Don’t wait any longer! Register now and become a Warga Asri, working together for a healthier earth!