The influencer-follower break-up

Content creator Aishwarya Mohanraj and her husband Aakash Shah. Pic/instagram/@aishwaryamrj

The iconic Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) once said, "The reason I am good to fans and I believe in them is because I am employed by them." It would seem that SRK feels that his service to his fans is bigger than his own ego. As he has also said, "the only thing I can do for my fans is to never stop working".

Our influencers today could learn from SRK. On the one hand, they care a lot about their followers, get work because of the follower count, and want to do literally anything to get more and more and more followers. On the other, if follower feedback hurts their ego, they lash back with brutal shade.

Let me explain. Creator Aishwarya Mohanraj, whom I quite liked, especially for a video where she addressed losing girlfriends who you thought were like sisters, has recently come out with a video that speaks to her followers who have a problem with her "husband-centric" content. In it, she basically says that the follower who can't get on board with her personality right now should break up with her, unfollow her, because don't we all outgrow each other?

Rightly said, Aishwarya, but why couldn't you just say it in a better way? Why did you have to dumb yourself down? Why did you treat your loyal followers, who have been following you since your Comicstan days, with such condescension?

You may think I am being hard on her. But hear me out. In most of the video, she says that she has always been the same person, someone who talks about lived experience, and once she spoke about not finding a "sane man", now she talks about her "only man". At one point in the video, she says. "There may be constructive criticism that says, Hey Aishwarya, why don't you make content about life experiences like going to the parlour, or the weird chachaji at home?" What? Are those your only life experiences? Then she says, "I have evolved into a married woman who talks about her marriage. You may be single and don't relate to my content. You might be in a toxic relationship." What? Why do I have to be single, or in a toxic relationship, to think that your content is repetitive, boring, and lacks originality?

But it's not only about Aishwarya. It's about all influencers who feel upset, or angry, when their followers give hate, with the same intensity as they give love. The influencer then lashes out with almost "tu-janta-nahin-main-kaun-hu" energy. Of course, you shouldn't take it lying down when followers harass you. But to take feedback, see what's working, see what you can do to diversify, improve, give the people what they want, still keeping your authenticity intact - isn't that what a creator/influencer does? If the follower bought every little product you ever peddled, should you break up with them just because they asked for content that didn't speak of your husband? But, also, should followers not just accept their favourite creator's new avatar?

I may be wrong. I do feel the best Instagram accounts are those when people are truly themselves. Unique. Unbothered. Not worried about the likes and followers - just talking about what they feel. Their true life experiences. But usually, those aren't the people who are getting Netflix and Amazon Prime gigs.

But I may be wrong. See you next week.

Ranting and raving about all that's trending on social media, Aastha Atray Banan is an author, creator, podcaster, and the Editor of your favourite weekend read, Sunday mid-day. She posts at @aasthaatray on Instagram.

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper