Tue, 11 Feb 2025

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 Why do kindness influencers get criticised?

Kindness influencers give away money and gifts but not everyone supports their work.
A young man from Australia, Samuel Weidenhofer, has gained 1.7 million followers on Instagram by sharing videos of himself performing random acts of kindness for strangers. This includes giving them money or surprising them with gifts. He says he wants to inspire others with his videos. Weidenhofer is not the only one doing this. A growing number of social media influencers are creating content around kindness and generosity. One of these, Zachery Dereniowski from Canada, has 5.7 million followers on Instagram and claims that everyone has a story and can give more than they think. These kindness creators make money by partnering with brands to promote their products in exchange for gifts or cash. Their videos get millions of views online, but some critics argue that the acts of kindness are often staged for the sake of social media fame rather than genuine altruism. A psychotherapist has expressed concerns about the way these videos often focus on one vulnerable person who is "lured" into valuing someone else's needs more than their own. She also questions what happens to those who don't play along. However, the kindness creators argue that using social media this way is an effective way to spread positivity and raise money for those in need. They claim that they have learned from past mistakes and are now focusing on providing longer-term help to those they assist.
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