Landmark study reveals close to half of Gen Z say they find the cash-rich lifestyles of influencers infuriating amidst the economic crisis

Some of our most well-known celebrities to date have made significant fortunes from a hashtag deluge of life updates and sponsored ads, with British influencers being among the best-paid in the world, pocketing £117.48 an hour – £137,000 a year if they worked full-time according to Adobe. In fact, new nationally representative data by Room Unlocked – a platform that overhauls the way in which influencers capitalise on their content – reveals almost half (44%) of Gen Z now say the cash-rich lifestyles of influencers amidst the cost-of-living crisis infuriates them. With a further 44% saying that comparing their lives to the unrepresentative lives of content creators has a negative effect on their mental health.

This comes as no surprise considering their growing popularity in recent years, particularly among Gen Z-ers of which 76% follow at least one influencer on social media, and 45% follow over 10 as stated by industry research. Yet as Gen Z battles soaring inflation for the first time ever – with 24% of young adults claiming the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is the leading cause of anxiety in their life – the disconnect between wealthy influencers and their younger followers has never been more evident.

As Gen Z struggle to connect to those they follow, what’s the solution? CEO of Room Unlocked, Alex Payne, explains that it’s now more important than ever for influencers to channel their authenticity.

Alex Payne CEO and co-founder of Room Unlocked, said:

“I don’t think it is any surprise that almost half of Gen Z say that following the cash-rich lifestyles of influencers amidst the cost of living crisis is infuriating. The most aware influencers will now blend their aspirational lifestyles with the support of causes that they genuinely care about. Audiences are more aware than ever to incongruous collaborations, but they are also more demanding that the people they follow lead in more ways than one.

“As the cost of living bites, the challenge that influencers face is maintaining the support and engagement of their audience, not flaunting their wares to those struggling. The gap between creators and their followers has never been as challenged – so much so that 44% of young adults say their mental health has been affected by comparing themselves to the unrepresentative lives of the influencers they follow.”

About Room Unlocked
Founded in just 2017, their innovative and first-of-its-kind take on influencer marketing has already attracted the interest of widely recognised brands such as O2, Charlotte Tilbury, Mars, and Odeon. Fundamentally, Room Unlocked is fighting against everything that is wrong with influencer culture, with brands historically trying to buy influence resulting in disingenuous content. Room Unlocked believes that this approach has created total distrust between influencers and the rest of society and is currently benefitting no one. When done right, however, it gives brands a way to weave their offerings into the social media experience which users log on for.

Not only is their method fixing a fractured relationship in society, but it has been proven to drive higher engagement rates. Proprietary research from Room Unlocked has also found that influencers are more likely to share more pieces of content when they have actively searched out the product or experience they’re advertising – further highlighting the benefits of this approach. Brands also have instant access to diverse advocates from A-list TV talent to macro and micro influencers, eliminating countless wasted hours of outreach on the wrong people, whilst also fostering relationships underpinned by love and not currency.