Movie Name – disConnect
Director – Peter CM Chin
Social Media Influencers: The Constant Pressure To Be Happy, Relevant, And Add Value
Social media is almost everywhere, and everyone is happily scrolling and listening to what the influencers have to say. There are plenty of reels on social media, and influencers go LIVE to gain followers and earn their trust. However, the life of a social media influencer is far from easy. It’s filled with ups and downs. While there are a few ups, most of the time influencers have to face the downs with a smile on their faces. In this movie, the director tries to show us the reality behind the Instagram reels and social media posts that most of us are hooked on.
In this movie, we find the life of a fitness influencer, Joe, in a complete mess. While his body is fit and it looks as if he works out every day, the reality is just the opposite. Joe hardly does any physical activity in recent times, as he is mentally down because he has to pay off a crypto loan, and moreover, he has been losing followers at a random rate. In social media, numbers matter, and Joe is not able to keep up with the number game. Although he has purchased a lot of fake followers to grab brand endorsements on social media and get some money, it all fell flat when the Instagram algorithm actually tracked the fake accounts and made him lose all the fake followers. Joe, the fitness influencer, in fact leads a quite stressful life and is not into the rigorous workouts that he claims to be doing.
The director of the movie, Peter, does a wonderful job of bringing out the sad and true reality of social media influencers. He portrays Joe’s character wonderfully. From the frustrations of not getting enough followers to smiling gleefully when he goes live on Instagram, the fake world of social media is brought up in front of our eyes. The actor in this movie portrays the character of Joe really well, and the emotions that come out through his facial expressions are worth noticing. What makes this movie a must-watch is its relevance in today’s times. One can easily connect with Joe’s character and the emotions he is going through. However, the dark world of social media behind the camera is horrific. While the general masses follow the influencers blindly and hold much admiration, the dreadful reality that’s portrayed in this movie will definitely make you think twice before blindly following and admiring the influencer whose life might be looking ‘perfect’.
The main takeaway from this movie is that “all that glitters isn’t gold” and ‘all smiling faces on social media might not be real’. The fitness influencer Joe has the most disbalanced morning routine. While he claims to be exercising for two hours, in reality he was just sitting and scrolling social media, trying his best to generate some valuable content that would help him go viral and generate followers.
The director does deserve much appreciation for portraying reality in a beautiful way. While Joe is leading a fake life on social media, we do not blame him but, on the contrary, sympathize with the character. The role of Joe has been beautifully played by the actor, and it instantly connects with the audience. The emotions are well-depicted and touch a chord in the heart. So, the next time you find a social media influencer trying their best to connect, add value, and reach out to the audience, instead of trolling and being judgmental, it’s better to boost their morale and help them grow. We do not know what battles people are fighting behind closed doors, and it definitely costs nothing to be kind and supportive.
This movie is truly an eye-opener and a must-watch if you are active on social media and love to be influenced by the ‘influencers’.
