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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over the last decade, <keyword id="9172113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="meghan-rienks">Meghan Rienks</keyword> has established herself as a YouTuber, <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword> influencer, podcaster, and actress.</li><li>After navigating the transition to adulthood — all on camera — the 26-year-old is releasing a "sort of memoir" — an undertaking she describes as a self-help book from someone who's "completely unqualified to give advice but is your best friend."</li><li>While writing the book, Rienks told Insider, she revisited the 10 years' worth of footage she posted on <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>.</li><li>Revisiting her content helped her articulate the lessons she wants to pass on to fans — lessons about social media, mental health, and a sense of self. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>In 2010, the summer before her senior year of high school, Meghan Rienks found herself stuck at home, diagnosed with mononucleosis. To combat her boredom, she filmed a video and uploaded it to YouTube. The grainy clip, in which she teased upcoming "weird and awkward" videos and tutorials, would jumpstart a career of creating lifestyle content that has racked up well over 200 million views. </p><p>A decade later, the 26-year-old has developed a 2.2 million-subscriber following on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCERTKUMXl6x8G79BmG6KtpQ">platform</a>, hosted a <a href="https://www.dontblameme.show/">podcast</a>, co-written and produced a <a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-honor-list">film</a>, and starred in a Hulu series — and now she wants to share what she's learned.</p><p>The YouTube star is adding "author" to her resumé — but her book isn't really about YouTube or the entertainment industry.</p><p>"<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Youre-Not-Special/Meghan-Rienks/9781982110109">YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL: A SORT OF MEMOIR</a>," Rienks told Insider, is "an approachable self-help book from someone who's completely unqualified to give you advice but is your best friend." The role is one she's familiar with after hosting "Dr. Meghan," an early series on her YouTube channel in which she doled out advice from "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAk0-4oAqc8">How Not to Give a F---</a>" to "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Lv2ffKtSM">How to Be Happy Being Single</a>."</p><h2>Rienks is the first to admit that she isn't an expert of any kind — but a decade of filming herself while transitioning to adulthood has given her the perspective to help her audience navigate mental health struggles, social media, friendship, and developing a sense of self. </h2><p><div type="image" title="Meghan Rienks" height="860" width="1147" msid="75564848" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"I'm much more likely to take advice [from a friend] than somebody who has a Ph.D.," she said. "I don't relate to that. I'd rather learn from somebody who's going to tell me all of their mistakes."</p><p>Writing the book, which Rienks says was a long and "painful" process, required going through almost ten years' worth of YouTube videos to jog her memory. Beyond offering a glimpse into her cringe-worthy teen moments and the evolution of her content, watching her body of work underscored the kinds of lessons she wanted to pass on —  specifically about emotional wellbeing and the ways in which we use online platforms.  </p><p>"In older videos, I really thought I had everything together — it's so wild," she said. "I went back and watched and was like, 'Am I doing a good job of faking this?' It took me a while to realize why I was logging on when things weren't great and trying to use [YouTube] as an escape when it wasn't."</p><p>Revisiting her entire online career underscored how she struggled to strike a balance between her offline and online lives — and how drawing boundaries and being honest was the best solution. </p><p>"It can be really hard to draw that line between 'when am I living my life for me?' and 'when am I living it for other people?'" she said. "Figuring out how to navigate all that was really hard, but I think I've found I'm not good at faking it. Just being honest and authentic was better than just powering through it."</p><p>Watching her late teens and twenties unfold also reminded Rienks of how much she's learned in the last decade — and how she has plenty more to figure out. </p><p>"I made this video about dealing with toxic friends in what, like 2011," she recalled, "but my [toxic friendships] didn't stop until like, you know, 2019. It's just crazy to think how much you think you know when you're a lot younger. And then once you get older to be like, okay, cool. I definitely did not learn those lessons yet."</p><p>As a result, Rienks says, her book doesn't claim to have all the answers, and it leaves room for unexpected turns to come. </p><p>"I have grown up so much even in the process of writing it. The final version doesn't wrap everything up with a nice bow," she said. "It leaves that door open for change and evolution, like my viewpoints on things and where my life's going to go. Because that idea of  'Oh, I've got it all figured out,' never bodes well. Life is going to throw you the biggest curveball."</p><h2>Ultimately, the YouTube star wants her fans to avoid comparing themselves to online personas — and to remember that everyone is "faking it a little bit."</h2><p>"With everything that you see online, you don't always know what's going on behind the scenes," she said. "And even in your own life, you don't really ever pay attention to what you're putting out there versus what you're necessarily feeling or what's going on inside with you. "</p><p>Rienks hopes her fans understand that she's had her own moments of curation – and it's not the full picture of her life. </p><p>"I hope they watch my videos and see my life through a specific certain lens but then realize like, 'wow everybody's doing that.' Everybody's curating their lives in a specific way," she explained. "All this stuff that they're going through, you don't always see it."</p><p><strong>Read more: </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/beauty-youtuber-meghan-rienks-account-was-hacked-youtube-did-nothing-2020-2">A beauty YouTuber with over 2 million subscribers says her account has been hijacked for months but the platform is doing nothing about it</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-gen-z-hustle-star-ryan-shakes-social-media-success-2020-5">How TikTok teen Ryan Shakes went from 0 to 5 million followers and represents Gen Z's new hustle culture</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/dixie-damelio-interview-profile-tiktok-fame-charli-2020-4">TikTok star Dixie D'Amelio had a meteoric rise to fame with her sister, but now she's determined to make her own brand: 'Charli and I are two different people'</a></p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-meghan-rienks-videos-book-decade-2020-5">Insider</a>

YouTube star Meghan Rienks reviewed a decade of her online content. This is what she learned about herself.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The Los Angeles Times published an interview with <keyword id="11963354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="addison-rae" source="Orion">Addison Rae</keyword> on August 27. </strong></li><li><strong>The actress and social media influencer addressed the viral video of her greeting former President Trump at <keyword id="11972439" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc-264" source="Orion">UFC 264</keyword> in July. </strong></li><li><strong>Rae, 20, said that she did not support Trump after fans criticized the interaction online. </strong></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/who-is-addison-rae-tiktok-dance-kardashian-controversy-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Addison Rae</a> addressed the video of her greeting former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword> at a UFC event after fans criticized her online. </p><p>Rae, whose full name is <keyword id="11972438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="addison-rae-easterling" source="Orion">Addison Rae Easterling</keyword>, appeared in an interview with <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-08-27/addison-rae-tiktok-hes-all-that-netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Los Angeles Times</a> to talk about her new film, "<a href="https://www.insider.com/hes-all-that-details-you-missed-nods-shes-all-that-2021-8">He's All That</a>." The actress and social media influencer also acknowledged her brief interaction with Trump at<a href="https://www.insider.com/addison-rae-ufc-264-poirier-mcgregor-respond-to-criticsm-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> UFC 264 . </a></p><p>In July, the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqGfNrA3e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NELK uploaded a video titled</a> "Addison Rae Says Hi to Donald Trump," in which the 20-year-old was spotted approaching Trump and tapping him on the shoulder to introduce himself. </p><p>"I'm Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi, hello. So nice to meet you," Rae said in the video. Since July, the video has been viewed more than 5.1 million times. </p><div type="image" title="Addison Rae wearing an " height="450" width="600" msid="85727051" hostid="261"></div><p>Insider's Charlotte Colombo and Palmer Haasch reported that <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-addison-rae-exposed-talking-donald-trump-ufc-264-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a clip was uploaded to the drama channel DefNoodles</a> and gained at least 615,000 views. </p><p>At the time,<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellendurney/addison-rae-refused-comment-trump-supporter-liked-tweets" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Buzzfeed</a> reported that fans and fellow influencers launched criticism at Rae for the public meeting, </p><p>On Twitter, actress and influencer Meghan Rienks <a href="https://twitter.com/meghanrienks/status/1414829051823329281?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>: "You actually * don't* have to say hi." Influencer and comedian Chris Klemens <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisKlemens/status/1414826755190235139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1414826755190235139%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Ftiktok-addison-rae-exposed-talking-donald-trump-ufc-264-2021-721-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>: "Oopsies Addison... your Republican is showing." </p><p>In her interview, Rae told the LA Times: "I mean, I don't support Trump. And if someone does, that's their opinion and I respect everyone's opinion, for each their own. But it's very rare on occasion that you ever get to meet a former president, and I think most people could agree with me on that." </p><p>Addison added that it's a "very uncommon" opportunity, and she considers herself a "friendly person." </p><p>"So introducing myself does not mean I stand behind anything that any respective person condones," Rae said. </p><div type="image" title="addison rae movie covid testing site" height="682" width="910" msid="85727052" hostid="261"></div><p>In September 2020, fans began to speculate that Rae was a Republican after a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tommy.memetastic/video/6875084018824596741?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2F&amp;referer_video_id=6875084018824596741&amp;refer=embeder=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok video</a> of her alleged voter registration made waves. She took to the comment section to dispel the rumor. </p><p>"This isn't real," Rae wrote. "First, I'm from Louisiana. Second, I'm not even registered to vote and never have been. I'm actually doing it for the first time with someone important and I'm excited to do so. This is fake." </p><p>Rae is among other celebrities and influencers who've received online criticism for political beliefs. </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-star-dixie-damelio-on-politics-i-never-supported-trump-2020-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dixie D'Amelio pushed back at speculation she was a Trump supporter </a>after she received death threats, writing on <a href="https://twitter.com/dixiedamelio/status/1257873022888955905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1257873022888955905%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Ftiktok-star-dixie-damelio-on-politics-i-never-supported-trump-2020-520-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> that she "never supported Trump." "Dance Moms" star Kalani Hilliker <a href="https://www.insider.com/kalani-hilliker-trump-instagram-influencer-dance-moms-star-endorses-twitter-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">garnered backlash after supporting Trump</a> in the 2020 election. </p>

Addison Rae says she's not a Trump supporter and explains their encounter at UFC 264

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9103692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="addison-rae">Addison Rae</keyword> appeared to say hello to former President Donald Trump during a <keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> event.</li><li>The <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> star previously denied rumors she was a Republican.</li><li>Other social media influencers have faced criticism for appearing to support Trump. </li></ul><p>A clip that appears to show <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-is-addison-rae-tiktok-dance-kardashian-controversy-2021-7">influencer Addison Rae</a> approaching former President Donald Trump at a UFC event has led to renewed speculation over her political affiliation and whether she supported Trump in the 2020 election. </p><p>In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqGfNrA3e4">video uploaded to the NELK YouTube channel on Wednesday</a> titled "Addison Rae Says Hi to Donald Trump," the TikTok star can be seen leaving her seat after spotting Trump in the front row and tapping him on the shoulder.</p><p>"I'm Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi, hello. So nice to meet you," she told a person who appears to be Trump at Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's UFC 264 match on Saturday. </p><p>The video, which has already amassed over 2.2 million views on YouTube, is causing a stir online, with several Twitter users accusing Rae of "fangirling" over the former president.</p><p>Clips of the interaction spread on Twitter, with one upload from drama channel DefNoodles amassing at least 615,000 views. From there, the video generated discourse online, with DefNoodles' tweet including the clip being quote retweeted over 3,200 times.</p><p>The DefNoodles Twitter account was suspended for violating Twitter's rules on Tuesday. A Twitter representative did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding the account's suspension. </p><p>Footage of the purported Rae-Trump interaction is still available in the NELK video, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/trippieejackie/status/1414805742708723718">other Twitter re-uploads.</a></p><p>"You actually *don't* have to say hi," <a href="https://twitter.com/meghanrienks/status/1414829051823329281?s=20">actress and influencer Meghan Rienks said in a tweet.</a> Comedian and influencer Chris Klemens <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisKlemens/status/1414826755190235139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1414826755190235139%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Ftiktok-addison-rae-exposed-talking-donald-trump-ufc-264-2021-721-7">added</a>: "Oopsies Addison... your Republican is showing."</p><p>Rumors that Rae was a Republican and supporter of Donald Trump began in September 2020, when <a href="https://www.popbuzz.com/internet/viral/addison-rae-voter-registration-republican/">a TikTok alleging to show Rae's voter registration went viral.</a></p><p>The video, posted by TikToker <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tommy.memetastic?">@tommy.memetastic</a>, appeared to show the voting records and registration of Addison Easterling, which is Rae's real name. The records, which the TikToker said he found through the "Vote Joe" app, suggested that Rae voted for Republican candidates in 2014, 2016, and 2018, in Tarzana, California.</p> <p>Rae debunked the video in its comment section at the time. "This isn't real," Rae said. "First, I'm from Louisiana. Second, I'm not even registered to vote and never have been. I'm actually doing it for the first time with someone important and I'm excited to do so. This is fake."</p><p>Other influencers have faced criticism in the past for being conservative or supporting Trump. In November 2020, former "Dance Moms" star Kalani Hilliker received backlash for expressing support for <keyword id="3825603" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="president-trump">President Trump</keyword> in the 2020 election via Instagram story posts and tweets, <a href="https://www.insider.com/kalani-hilliker-trump-instagram-influencer-dance-moms-star-endorses-twitter-2020-11">Insider reported.</a></p><p>In May 2020, <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-star-dixie-damelio-on-politics-i-never-supported-trump-2020-5">Dixie D'Amelio claimed that she had received death threats</a> as a result of "inaccurate speculation of [her] political belief" after people online began to hypothesize she was a Republican. The TikTok star <a href="https://twitter.com/dixiedamelio/status/1257873022888955905?s=20">clarified in a tweet</a> that she had never supported President Trump and was an "independent voter."</p><p>At the same UFC 264 event, <a href="https://www.insider.com/addison-rae-ufc-264-poirier-mcgregor-respond-to-criticsm-2021-7">Rae also attracted controversy</a> for posting a photo of herself at the preliminary event, where she appeared to joke that she was a correspondent for the fight. After backlash on Twitter, ESPN confirmed to Insider that though the TikTok star conducted some interviews, she was not hired as a full-time employee.</p><p>Rae did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p><p><em>Kat Tenbarge contributed reporting. </em></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/culture"><strong>To read more stories like this, check out Insider's digital culture coverage here.</strong></a></p>

Addison Rae appeared to introduce herself to Donald Trump at a UFC fight

<ul class="summary-list"><li>YouTuber Nikki Phillippi is facing backlash after posting that her family put their dog down.</li><li>Phillippi said that her family put down their dog, Bowser, after displays of aggression.</li><li>An animal-behavior expert told Insider that these decisions are extremely difficult.</li></ul><p>An influencer is facing backlash from other social media personalities and members of her audience after announcing that she and her husband decided to put down their dog after he bit their son.</p><p>Nikki Phillippi, a YouTuber with 1.29 million subscribers who regularly posts <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword> and family videos, announced in a YouTube video and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CObE9U-nJq5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">on Instagram</a> that her family euthanized their dog Bowser following displays of aggression.</p><p>"Bowser had an aggressive side that reared it's ugly head a few times over the years... and recently he bit Logan," she wrote in the caption of Tuesday's Instagram post, referring to her young son. "After a lot of counsel, we decided it was time for Bowser to pass peacefully on."</p><p>The announcement that Phillippi and her family decided to put the dog down incited backlash online, with viewers and other content creators saying that they should have sought out other options, attempted to mitigate his behavior, or tried to rehome him. But an animal behavior expert told Insider that while no one wants to make an end-of-life decision, the discussion can be appropriate in cases of aggressive <keyword id="6371668" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="animals">animals</keyword>.</p><p>"We didn't want to make this decision...as I'm sure you can imagine," the caption on the post reads. "I'm not kidding when I say this was one of the saddest days of my life."</p><p>Phillippi and her husband Dan elaborated on the decision in a YouTube video posted Monday, saying that Bowser had "seriously injured a couple different <keyword id="32596" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dogs">dogs</keyword>" in the past and that he had injured their son Logan after he tried to take food from the dog. She also said that a moment of "aggression" five years ago made them consider putting Bowser down at the time.</p><p>Phillippi said that they had attempted to find a new home for Bowser, but said that after consulting with a humane society were told that rehoming wasn't an option. </p><p>"In some ways it's been anticipated for a really long time, and in others, it was completely shocking," Phillippi said in the video. "Never crossed my mind - 'Oh, now we're gonna have to put Bowser down' - I just thought, 'Oh, he's just gotta be in the right home.' But after getting counsel from multiple professionals who are with dogs all the time, all of them said that, they all said the same thing."</p><h2>Phillippi was quickly criticized for the choice</h2><p>Followers and members of the YouTube community heavily criticized Phillippi for euthanizing her dog.</p><p>The comments section of Phillippi's Instagram post is full of critical comments that have racked up thousands of likes. "Shame on you," one commenter wrote on Tuesday. "Some dogs can't live with kids but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to live," said another. </p><p>Comments on the YouTube video were turned off. But a clip from the video <a href="https://twitter.com/defnoodles/status/1389766132484108293">shared on Twitter by DefNoodles</a>, a YouTube watchdog channel, had responses that accused Phillippi of "animal cruelty." </p><p>One <a href="https://twitter.com/kerrdaniels729/status/1389589961486192642">Twitter user posted a screenshot</a> of Phillippi's Instagram announcement and wrote, "<keyword id="1112328" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencers">influencers</keyword> are the real pandemic." </p><p>Meghan Rienks, an influencer and actress <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meghanrienks/">with over 990,000 followers on Instagram,</a> posted on the platform and tweeted about Phillippi's announcement. Rienks said that Phillippi <a href="https://twitter.com/meghanrienks/status/1389768811406970885?s=20">"could have pulled a myka stauffer,"</a> referencing a parenting influencer who <a href="https://www.insider.com/myka-stauffer-youtube-instagram-backlash-for-rehoming-special-needs-son-2020-5">faced backlash in 2020 for saying that she had "rehomed" her son with developmental disabilities</a> after previously monetizing videos about him. </p><h2>Handling aggressive pets is difficult and a nuanced issue, an expert said</h2><p>While many critics said there were other options for the Phillippi family, situations involving aggressive pets can be complicated and must be handled on a case-by-case basis alongside professionals, according to Liv Hagen, the manager of shelter behavior services at the <a href="https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/about/about-animal-humane-society">Minnesota-based Animal Humane Society</a>.</p><p>Hagen told Insider that when dealing with a dog displaying aggression, you must evaluate the animal's response to certain triggers, and determine whether those triggers and responses are manageable or not. </p><p>"If you have a dog that you're experiencing some level of aggression with, there are people that can help," Hagen said, but added that she couldn't comment on Phillippi's particular case. </p><p>Hagen recommended that owners of aggressive pets consult with veterinarians, veterinary behaviorists, or certified behavior consultants. Sometimes, Hagen said, those discussions end with difficult decisions that are never taken lightly - like rehoming an animal or ending its life. Pet owners may euthanize their pets for a variety of other reasons too, like illness, chronic pain, or old age, <a href="https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/euthanasia-making-the-decision/">according to American Humane,</a> an animal welfare non-profit organization. </p><p>"An end-of-life decision is not something anyone ever wants to do," Hagen said. "If it is the case where the animal is truly unsafe - again, making that decision in consultation with experts and professionals - then maybe it is an appropriate discussion to have with the expert that you're working with. And as heartbreaking as it is, it sometimes happens."</p><p>Phillippi did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p>

A YouTuber who said she euthanized her dog that bit her son is being accused of 'animal cruelty' by some viewers

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Victoria's Secret is known as the beacon of all things sexy.<p>Every year, the company has a What Is Sexy contest, where fans and shoppers can vote for who they think is sexy in a variety of categories. This year, the company expanded to a wide variety of social media stars.</p><p>This might be a way for the company to appeal to young consumers, many of which are obsessed with these stars.&#xa0;</p><p>But perhaps most notably, it suggests that Victoria's Secret might believe that's what's sexiest of all is inspiring young people.</p><p>The winners were announced yesterday, but here's the list of social media nominees in case you missed it, via <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3505154/Move-Angels-Victoria-Secret-launches-award-sexiest-social-media-stars-former-DWTS-contestant-Bethany-Mota-Zoella-earning-nominations.html" target="_blank">The Daily Mail</a>:</p><h3><strong>Sexiest Social Media Star (Beauty)</strong></h3><p><strong>Bethany Mota&#xa0;</strong>is known for her popular <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Macbarbie07" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>.</p><p><div></div></p><p><strong>Zoella&#xa0;</strong>vlogs about beauty on&#xa0;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/zoella280390" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.&#xa0;<div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Ingrid Nilsen</strong>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, MissGlamorazzi, has captured the attention of young people.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>&#xa0;Meghan Rienks</strong>'<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/meghanrosette" target="_blank"> YouTube channel d</a>ishes on beauty advice with a dose of quirk.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><h3 class="embed-spacer">Sexiest social media star (fitness)</h3><p><strong>Kayla Itsines</strong> has risen to ubiquity with her popular <a href="http://www.kaylaitsines.com/collections/guides" target="_blank">Bikini Body Guide workouts</a>.</p><p><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Hannah Bronfman</strong>'s website&#xa0;<a href="http://hbfit.com/" target="_blank">HBFit</a> shares wellness advice, workouts, and more.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Cassey Ho&#xa0;</strong>is known for her <a href="http://www.blogilates.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and&#xa0;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, both called Blogilates.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>&#xa0;Natalie Jill</strong> is a<a href="https://www.nataliejillfitness.com/" target="_blank"> fitness guru</a> who shares her workouts with her fans.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><h3 class="embed-spacer">Sexiest social media star (fashion)</h3><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Sonya Esman</strong> blogs about fashion on her website, <a href="http://classisinternal.com/" target="_blank">Class Is Internal</a>.</p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;<div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Annabelle Fleur</strong> shares her musings on fashion and beauty on her website, <a href="http://vivaluxury.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Viva Luxury</a>.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>&#xa0;Rocky Barnes&#xa0;</strong>writes about style on her <a href="http://rockybarnesblog.com/blog/" target="_blank">website</a>.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong>&#xa0;Negin Mirsalehi&#xa0;</strong>writes about&#xa0;<a href="http://neginmirsalehi.com/" target="_blank">makeup, fashion, and more</a>.</p><p class="embed-spacer"><div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sports-illustrated-models-in-real-life-2015-12">Here's what Sports Illustrated swimsuit models look like in real life</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1xdThjeDr9rdJ_RuiU9J86ltIF4jL-Qf" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Victoria's Secret is recruiting these Instagram stars to win over young consumers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd has reached nearly every corner of American life, from physical protests to social media. </li><li><keyword id="1112328" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencers">Influencers</keyword> and creators who dominate online spaces — from <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword> bloggers to YouTube personalities — have been participating in the political conversation more than ever, despite politics being absent from many of their online profiles in the past. </li><li>From foodies to YouTube pranksters, influencers of all stripes talked to Insider about how they've shifted their content toward <keyword id="112438" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-justice">social justice</keyword>, and what they expect the future will hold for influencers and politics.</li></ul><p>Hannah Bronfman was never one to shy away from talking about racial justice online. As a Black woman in the wellness space, the entrepreneur and Instagram influencer has fought for more representation in the industry. "Speaking about social justice isn't something particularly new for me," Bronfman told Insider. But the worldwide racism and police brutality protest movement sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd has changed her perspective. </p><p>"It's shown me that our voices very much matter," Bronfman, who has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hannahbronfman/?hl=en">640,000 followers on Instagram</a> (@hannahbronfman), said. "And anyone who has a platform, whether it's 10K followers or a million-plus, should be using their platform to discuss the current climate." </p><p>As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to spread through protests in major cities like New York and Paris and small towns in middle America, the social media landscape has emerged as a venue for anti-racism activism and education. Many popular creators on apps like Instagram and TikTok, as well as YouTube, are taking their roles as influencers seriously, and shifting their content to address racism in the US. </p><p>"Social media is a different place today than it was even just last month," said Cameron Rogers of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/freckledfoodie/?hl=en">@freckledfoodie</a>, a food, wellness, and lifestyle Instagram page and blog. Rogers, who is white, has spoken about social justice on her platform before, but has taken on a new role in the last few weeks, both on her feed, in her stories, and with her podcast. On Wednesday, for example, she posted an image of herself with a caption that unpacked all of her different kinds of privilege, among other pictures of healthy recipes. "I do think obviously I'm speaking with a bit louder of a microphone right now, given everything that's happening," she told Insider. </p><p>For Kira West (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bykwest/?hl=en">@bykwest</a>), a health and wellness influencer who is Black, the current protest movement has led her to bring her real-life conversations to her followers, and to "make space" as a person of color in the influencer industry. "I need to really make an effort to make space, which means having a lot of the hard conversations," she told Insider. But still, she said she's felt a bit nervous shifting her content and speaking out about political and racial issues. "I definitely think it is nerve-wracking because I'm not a political blogger — wellness is my niche," she said. But, she's been sharing that "this is my lived experience and this is how this has continued to impact me and continue to be relevant, more than anything else."</p><h2><strong>Influencers have faced repercussions in the past for getting political, including losing followers.</strong></h2><p>For some influencers, speaking out about politics in the past has had consequences. Adande Thorne, better known as the YouTuber <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUKi4zY5ETSqrKAjTBgjM-g">Swoozie (AKA sWooZie)</a>, is a Trinidadian-American creator who built up a massive following of over 7 million subscribers with animation shorts and skits. One of his most popular videos is "Driving While Black," an animated skit about a time he was pulled over by a Black female cop. The video touches on what Thorne told Insider has been a theme in his experiences as a Black man — instances of being confronted by law enforcement for just being Black, known as <a href="http://sfdistrictattorney.org/sites/default/files/Document/BRP_report.pdf">racial profiling</a>.</p><p>Issues like racial profiling and police brutality are political in nature, but they also fit into a wider scope of "human rights" and "social justice." While Thorne got mostly positive reception for his "Driving While Black" video, he has also experienced massive subscriber loss for speaking out about an issue deemed too political for some.</p><p>"I did make a video, jokingly, about 'if Trump got elected' and I lost over 100,000 subscribers that day," Thorne told Insider about a since-deleted video he made before the 2016 election. "I thought I made it very clear that is was satire, it was sarcastic, it was for fun."</p><p>Thorne says that as a YouTuber living in Los Angeles — where most of the US influencer industry is located, and where many influencers and creators move to and live after becoming popular online — he was constantly surrounded by an anti-Donald Trump narrative. Thorne made his "If Trump got elected" video soon after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-scared-face-melania-after-access-hollywood-tape-leak-book-2020-6">the "Access Hollywood" tape</a> of Trump saying "grab them by the p----" debuted, and he didn't expect backlash, because he thought Trump was objectively unpopular. "That taught me to kind of dial it back when it came to political stuff."</p><p>Thorne's experience of losing 100,000 subscribers in a day for criticizing Trump is a clear demonstration of why many influencers avoid talking about politics. But in the case of the Black Lives Matter movement, the call to make anti-racist content took precedence over that fear. While an issue like Trump's presidency is inherently divisive, issues that reflect human rights are seen are more unifying, even if they contain political and anti-Trump undertones.</p><h2><strong>It quickly became expected for influencers to be vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement, even if they hadn't been political in the past. </strong></h2><p>Most influencers who didn't speak about the protests were <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-influencers-support-black-lives-matter-stop-posting-instagram-2020-6">met with criticism</a> from their followers over their inaction. Rogers said she hasn't been surprised to see which influencers did or didn't change their content to align with the protest movement. "With the following comes a responsibility," she said. "But I think there was a target put on influencers' heads of like, 'how are they going to handle this?' And I think for the people who I was disappointed in how they handled it, I already was disappointed in them as influencers." </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-meghan-rienks-videos-book-decade-2020-5">Meghan Rienks</a>, a white <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCERTKUMXl6x8G79BmG6KtpQ">YouTuber</a> who has been popular in the beauty and lifestyle communities for more than a decade, has always been open with her liberal politics online. But, after Floyd's murder, she began posting much more frequently about racism in the US, police brutality, white privilege, and other inequalities. So she was disappointed in herself when a Black follower reached out to say that she was "relieved" to learn that Rienks was truly an ally of the Black community. "I was like, 'Oh my God, how have I not made it so abundantly clear, over the top, all of the time," she told Insider, calling the message a "turning point." </p><p>"I've always tried really hard to practice anti-racism in my everyday life, in my professional life. And I was like, 'I am not doing nearly enough, loudly online, because I don't want anyone to have to ever question if I am a safe place, or I am a person who is supporting them through this movement," she said. Rienks has since reached out to multiple influencers, some of whom are friends of hers, with resources and information on how they can best use their platforms to educate their followers on anti-racism.  </p><p><div type="image" title="(L to R) Hannah Bronfman, a wellness influencer; Adande Throne, a YouTuber; Meghan Rienks, a lifestyle influencer." height="836" width="1498" msid="76517548" hostid="261"></div></p><p>For Yousef Saleh Erakat, better known as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1r4VtVE__5K6c_L_3Vlxxg">FouseyTube (or simply Fousey)</a> to his more than 10 million YouTube subscribers, the protests following Floyd's killing was a clear call to action. Erakat, who is of Palestinian descent and grew popular in part thanks to videos about Middle Eastern <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword>, told Insider that he was on a social media break when the protests began. But his break became "irrelevant" once he observed the conversation happening online. </p><p>"I didn't want people to confuse my not being on social media with my ignorance toward the situation and what was going on. I didn't want to give them a chance to say 'Why aren't you posting,'" Erakat told Insider. "I think it's definitely like a 'put up or shut up' environment, and I don't think creators have room to say 'We're with the fight but we don't want to post about it.'"</p><p>Erakat also said he doesn't personally consider himself to be very politically knowledgeable, but he views the Black Lives Matter movement as "human rights and the basic fight against racism," something he says it's easy to be on the "right side" of. That type of "social awareness" activism is something Erakat has taken part in online before, he told Insider — his "public experiment" videos that touch on topics like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZvYvOkqxA8">homelessness</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HiO4uupBPw">sexual assault</a> have garnered tens of millions of views each, without ever venturing too far in any specific political direction.</p><h2><strong>Influencers are debating between the value in educating followers who push against BLM content and losing ones who don't align with their values. </strong></h2><p>While influencers aren't necessarily losing 100,000 followers like Thorne did for his Trump video, many have experienced mild to moderate follower loss over their anti-racism content. Sometimes, like in the case of a Trader Joe's fan account <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-influencers-support-black-lives-matter-stop-posting-instagram-2020-6">that erred to the "All Lives Matter" side</a> in addressing the protests, the follower loss was due to the influencer's audience disapproving of the way the influencer chose to show allyship.</p><p>Others likely hit "unfollow" because they don't support the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement — and influencers are somewhat torn on whether those followers should stick around in the first place. For Erakat, it's simply a matter of being on the "right side" of history, and he says he wouldn't want followers who disagree. </p><p>"If you're losing followers, you're not losing followers that are on the same wavelength as you anyways," Erakat told Insider. "And they don't have the same belief system as you. So I don't think there's any harm in posting how you feel and losing followers over it if you don't align with those followers anyways. It's not worth it at the end of the day."</p><p>But while Rogers and Thorne don't necessarily want anyone opposed to the anti-racism movement in their personal communities, they also argue that those are the people who need exposure to that type of content the most. <strong> </strong></p><p>"When I reflect back on losing followers right now, a part of me is like, 'I'm happy to have them gone, then.' If they don't like what I'm speaking about right now, then I don't want them to be part of my community," Rogers said. "The other part of me is upset because I think they are the people that need to hear this the most." </p><p>Thorne compared having followers who disagree with anti-racism — those who may be ignorant of race issues — to sick people needing medicine. If some of his former followers were white supremacists, he said, then he wishes they would stick around for the educational value of his content. </p><p>"I know a lot of influencers who would be like 'Eff 'em, I don't care if they leave,'" Thorne told Insider. "I try to take the angle of 'If I can help provide some medicine or even a better perspective,' I would prefer they stayed. Not even for the numbers or for the clout, but I'd prefer they stayed because I can possibly help shift their perspective. I wouldn't look at it as 'Y'all are leaving? Bye.' I look at it as 'I can help change peoples' perspective.'"</p><h2><strong>As influencers slowly return to their more "normal" content, they are seeking ways to incorporate this activism into their work.</strong></h2><p>Patia Borja, who started a massive <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16CFLrMySyQR8cLTmACUKtHfc-UQ9PUA0ktLAfApydS8/htmlview#">free database</a> of educational anti-racism resources and who runs the meme account <a href="https://www.instagram.com/patiasfantasyworld/?hl=en">@patiasfantasyworld</a> that became a <a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/patias-fantasy-world-anti-racism-activism-guide/">central voice in BLM movement</a>, said influencers need to think twice before they start posting their normal content again — especially when that content is something like showing off your clothing. "I think that to just go back to posting your designer outfit is just the most outrageous thing. And I think at the end of the day, if you're gonna do that, you can't complain about the system, because you're being complicit within it," Borja told Insider. <strong> </strong></p><p>"There's a lot of things to cover, and we don't necessarily need to do it all in a week," Bronfman said. "A lot of people of color are saying that it's not on us to provide all the resources, or a burden on people of color," she said, adding that she's "trying to be a good resource while also maintaining my sanity." </p><p>But still, moving forward, she said she's excited to be able to use her platform in the fight for racial equality. "I was raised by a very strong, empowered Black woman, who raised me to be the same. And I just feel like, never has there been a time to turn my platform into something extremely meaningful," she said. </p><p>For Toni Adeyemi, a Black activist who <a href="https://www.insider.com/influencers-promote-black-lives-matter-donation-instagram-ar-filter-2020-6">launched a viral Instagram filter</a> to help users pick where to donate to support the Black Lives Matter movement, the shift from using her Instagram platform to talk about her personal life to talking about activist causes coincided with the Floyd protests. </p><p>"Before it would be me at a party, me at the boxing gym, me at wherever, it would just be me and my life. Now I'm dedicated to this," Adeyemi told Insider. She encourages influencers who are interested in using their platforms to focus on specific changes that can be implemented in both <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBQgboHMFt/?hl=en">the influencer industry</a> and in other social and political spheres. For Thorne, this is part of his goal as a massive YouTuber. He told Insider that he'll be supporting specific policy changes in the future that include requiring all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras that are actually turned on, with recordings that are accessible to the public.</p><p>"We see people co-opt Black culture, profit off of it, and keep going. We see Black creators having their work stolen and not credited," Adeyemi said. "They can't just say [Black Lives Matter] and not be educated [...] There are tactical ways that influencers who are actually serious can help. If they're serious, there are actual things they can do."</p><h2><strong>It remains to be seen how vocal influencers will be in the 2020 election.</strong></h2><p>Since April 1, President Donald Trump's approval ratings have been sinking, according to <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/">FiveThirtyEight</a>, and among normally tight-lipped influencers, disapproval of the Republican president has become the norm — especially amid BLM protests, but it's unclear if influencers will be willing to vocally support his opponent.</p><p>Asked whether she'll support a candidate other than Trump on her platform for November's upcoming presidential election, Rogers simply said, "Absolutely." Rienks has also been open on her platform about her disdain for Trump. But Erakat, on the other hand, was doubtful that most influencers would tell their followers whom they should vote for. </p><p>"With this election in particular, I don't think so," he told Insider. "I think that I can see creators telling their fans to go out and vote, but in terms of having somebody that they think they should vote to get our current president out, I don't think that they're going to have a lot to say about that.</p><p>"I think people aren't as confident in 'This is who we need in office, this is who I want to run the country.' I don't think we have that definitive answer yet," he said. "I think people are picking between the lesser of two evils."</p><p>Bronfman has been speaking a lot about voter suppression on her Instagram, and posted a video on her feed on Wednesday about the history of voter suppression in the US. She said it's impossible to address racism in America while ignoring politics. "I actually believe that you really can't have one conversation without the other at this point," she said. "If you want to be seen as someone who really believes in this movement, and as someone who's taking actionable steps to dismantle this systemic racism, you have to speak out against Trump."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/virtue-signaling-social-media-george-floyd-protests-racism-2020-6">Politicians and influencers have been accused of 'virtue signaling' during police brutality protests, but the callouts could do more harm than good</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/kendall-jenner-denies-photoshop-edit-black-lives-matter-picture-2020-6">Kendall Jenner said a viral edited picture that appeared to show her holding a Black Lives Matter poster was not posted by her</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/black-lives-matter-i-cant-breathe-makeup-tiktok-trend-blackface-2020-6">Black Lives Matter and 'I can't breathe' makeup looks keep popping up, but beauty YouTubers are calling them 'disrespectful'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/influencers-promote-black-lives-matter-donation-instagram-ar-filter-2020-6">An activist addressed a common psychological phenomenon with her viral BLM Instagram donation filter</a></li></ul>

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