Written by: Muskan Shah, Dr. Moitrayee Das
A report by Quroz, an influencer marketing intelligence platform, reported that the number of influencers in India has grown 322% in the last 4 years, increasing from 9.6 lakh in 2020 to 40.6 lakh in 2024. In 2025, brands are projected to spend $9.29 billion on influencer marketing (Shopify, 2024). The influencer marketing economy was reported to bring in Rs 2,344 crore in 2023; the amount raked in is projected to increase by 44% to Rs 3,375 crore in 2026. These statistics stand testament to the appeal that the position of an influencer has (Firstpost, 2024).
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Today, there is tremendous scope for growth as an influencer, allowing individuals the freedom to earn well while doing what they enjoy. In today’s digital age, the image of an influencer is perceived to be glamorous, filled only with highs, brand deals, sponsored travel, exciting events, and love and support from an ever-growing follower count. But as Spiderman famously said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ What several individuals fail to notice is this demon lurking behind the surface of fame: an immense pressure that goes hand in hand with creating and maintaining an online presence.
The dark side of influencing
Being an influencer allows you to share the highlights of your life and the fruit of your efforts with a larger audience. However, the lowlights, the moments where everything seems to fall apart, are rarely ever shared. Managing a social media presence, constantly having to post and interact with the audience no matter what is going on in your personal life, and managing the expectations of brands to fulfill their demanded deliverables while maintaining an image can get overwhelming. The algorithms of social media platforms keep changing, and so do trends and challenges. The pressure to keep up and quickly adapt to all of these factors can take a huge psychological toll, triggering and worsening burnout, anxiety, depression, and overall mental well-being.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The line between personal and professional keeps thinning until there seems to be none. This side of the influencer culture, which seems to be less frequently talked about, is underscored by the tragic loss of Misha Agarwal. Misha Agarwal, a 24-year-old social media influencer and entrepreneur, passed away 2 days before her 25th birthday (Business Standard, 2025). Boasting 360,000 followers on Instagram and founding her own cosmetics company, Mish Cosmetics, Misha did well for herself on social media.
She had one goal: reaching 1 million followers. However, when her followers started to decrease, her mental health plummeted. On her passing, her sister took to social media to share that her younger sister held a law degree and was preparing for a judicial career. She recounted that Misha had been battling depression and her mental health was deeply impacted by the decline in her following count, which Misha had come to equate to her self-worth.
The Time For Detox
Misha’s story exemplifies the mental health challenges brought about by the relentless pursuit of perfection, which seems to be unachievable due to the ever-changing nature of social media trends and algorithms. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive and are found to increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and illness (McLean Hospital, n.d.; Sherlock & Wagstaff, 2020). The effect of chronic online presence and alarming screen time has led to many individuals attempting digital detox.
One such app to reduce distractions is Blank Spaces. Acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal, the aim of this app is clear: remove all distractions from your phone. This iOS application is minimalism in digital form, helping users remove clutter from their home screens to simplify the traditional layout even more. The features offered by the app include replacing app icons with a clear, simple interface of the app’s name; for example, the word ‘YouTube’ is listed on the screen without the app-grid layout being present. This listing feature allows focus to be retained for only essential tasks, removing or reducing the urge to use non-essential applications.
Furthermore, there is also an option to lock apps that are distracting, and if they are accessed, there are short mindfulness exercises that need to be completed by the user before that app is opened. Blank Spaces helps users break free of the addictive consumption of social media platforms by prompting mindfulness, boosting focus, and reducing screen time. It breaks the cycle of habitual phone checking behaviors and aids in supporting mental health, helping in the formation of a healthier, more mindful relationship between us and technology.
As technology continues to encroach on all domains of daily life, it is more important than ever to be mindful and be independent thinkers. The digital world, with social media influencers and likes and shares, is much more than what it appears to be; social media influence is not just numerical, but it’s about real individuals with real lives and challenges. When we consume content being put out there, it is important to be empathetic and acknowledge the fact that social media highlights are just that—they are only the good parts of someone’s lives. The digital world is an inevitable and considerable part of our lives, so why not turn it from a foe to a friend?
Citations
Business Standard. (2025, May 5). Behind the filter: Misha Agrawal’s death raises questions about social media, mental health, and the influencer industry in India. https://www.business-standard.com/health/behind-filter-misha-agrawal-death-social-media-mental-health-india-125050500552_1.html
Firstpost. (2024, April 18). Explained: Why number of social media influencers in India has risen sharply. https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/india-influencers-risen-report-marketing-13858081.html
McLean Hospital. (n.d.). Like it or not, social media’s affecting your mental health. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health
Shopify. (2024, January 16). 40+ influencer marketing statistics that matter in 2024. https://www.shopify.com/in/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics
Sherlock, M., & Wagstaff, D. L. (2020). Exploring the relationship between frequency of Instagram use, exposure to idealized images, and psychological well-being in women. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(1), 35–42. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7364393/
Muskan Shah is a Postgraduate Student at Christ University, Bangalore and Moitrayee Das is an assistant professor at FLAME University, Pune.