By Emily Balcetis and Cyra Aggarwal
Emma Chamberlain was 16 years old when she exploded as a social media star, now with over 12 million YouTube subscribers and 16 million Instagram followers. In 2017, she started vlogging on YouTube. Her early content was primarily focused on her everyday life, capturing relatable, unfiltered moments of her teenage experiences. She gained popularity with her unique humor, candid storytelling, and laid-back approach to lifestyle topics like fashion hauls, DIY projects, and “get ready with me” videos. Coffee quickly became a signature part of her brand. She made it and drank it while talking to her audience. From this quirky, signature action, she launched Chamberlain Coffee, an offshoot of her brand featuring organic, fair-trade coffee and compostable packaging. Chamberlain Coffee has grown into a multi-million-dollar business in partnership with prominent names like Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein.
Social media influencers like Chamberlain aren’t just influencing trends—they’re shaping what you eat, buy, and how you live. With teens spending an average of 4.8 hours a day online—more time than they spend in school—social media’s impact on daily life is strong (Duarte, 2023). Whether it’s a TikToker praising a fast food craze or a YouTuber incorporating snacks into their routines, influencer-based promotion blurs the line between authentic recommendations and paid advertising.
Stylized social media like post including an influencer promoting junk food.
Product placement—where items are seamlessly integrated into content—makes it difficult for viewers to recognize they are being marketed to. While influencers must disclose paid partnerships under the Federal Trade Commission Act, they often focus only on the positives of a product, leaving consumers with an incomplete understanding of influencers’ honest opinions. And though disclosures must be easy to find, read, and understand and should be placed directly within the endorsement, influencers are creative, designing ambiguous hashtags or burying disclosures to obfuscate their material connections to a brand. This lack of transparency leads many consumers to make purchasing decisions based on a distorted product view.
Nonetheless, adults and kids alike mimic what they see happening in the media. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a study of sixty children aged 2 to 5, led by Dr. Jennifer Emond, who were randomly assigned to watch a 14-minute TV show that featured food advertisements or department store ads. During the program, they had access to two snacks—one of which had been advertised. Children exposed to food advertisements ate more of the unhealthy snacks despite not even being hungry.
.png.jpg "Cyra Aggarwal")
Piles of candy
Source: Cyra Aggarwal
Unfortunately, kids see ads for unhealthy foods more often in real life than in the research lab. Public health researcher Dr. Marie Bragg led a project that connected childhood obesity to exposure to unhealthy food marketing on social media. Bragg’s team found that over 67 percent of food featured in child-focused YouTube videos was unhealthy. These ads often slip under the radar of parents who remain unaware of the degree to which their children are marketed, making them a powerful force in shaping children’s food preferences.
Stronger regulations are necessary as social media continues to grow and influencers maintain their hold on digital platforms. Protecting children and vulnerable communities from the powerful and pervasive force of marketing unhealthy foods is essential for public health. Algorithms and influencers may seem like harmless entertainment, but their influence over our choices needs more attention. Understanding these dynamics is essential for fostering a digital environment that supports well-being and healthy choices.
____
Cyra Aggarwal is the founder of The Literary Vault Blog and The Literary Vault Book Subscription Box, promoting literacy. She hosts the Visionary Vault Podcast, where she guides young adults through various academic and career challenges through conversations with students and professors from top universities. Cyra is a high school student building towards a career in medicine.