An unfiltered, colorful romp through the IRL world of influencers that spills the tea on the multibillion-dollar industry of content creation. If you’re anything like journalist Stephanie McNeal—aka, a millennial woman—you spend hours every day indulging in Instagram’s infinite scroll. The influencers on the platform aren’t just providing eye candy; these tastemakers impact how we cook, consume, parent, decorate, think, and live. But what exactly is going on behind the curtain of the perfectly curated Instagram grids we obsess over the most? Through intimate, funny, and vulnerable reporting, McNeal takes us through the looking glass and into the secretive real world of three major influencers: fashion and lifestyle juggernaut Caitlin Covington of Southern Curls & Pearls, runner and advocate Mirna Valerio, and OG “mommy blogger” Shannon Bird. Swipe Up For More! is based on three years of unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall access that offers a rare glimpse into how these influencers build their empires, struggle with the haters and snarkers, fight for creative control from the tech platforms that enable their businesses, parent in public, and try to look good while doing it. Along the way, McNeal answers burning questions, like: Why are there so many Mormon mommy influencers? What is it like to work for a popular influencer? What do they do with all the free swag? How do brand partnerships work? And how much money do they really make? Irresistible, juicy, and voyeuristic, Swipe Up For More! reveals all about the women some love to hate (and many actually, secretly, genuinely love).
Reviews with the most likes.
If you're looking for an expose of the influencer lifestyle, you'll be disappointed. Glamour senior editor Stephanie McNeal admits to being a fan of the three mega-successful influencers who are the main focus of the book, although she isn't blind to the flaws of a profession that requires its adherents to “perform authenticity.” She also digs a bit into the racial gap in the earnings of white and Black influencers; and the questionable impact that “mommy blogging” has on children who never consented to have their life monetized. But she concludes that we should be glad that new Gen Z influencers are carrying on the tradition (using TikTok instead of Instagram), because “influencers matter.” In my humble Boomer opinion, the whole lifestyle reeks of late capitalism at its worst.
I am grateful to McNeal for introducing me to the GOMI (Get Off My Internet) site that curates snark and vitriol towards internet celebrities. Book subject Shannon Bird's influencer empire began to topple when GOMI called out her tone-deaf white-privileged post about calling 911 emergency services because she ran out of baby formula at 2 a.m. Yes, she really did that. And sent the police back to the store when they delivered cow's milk instead of Enfamil!