Social media is overflowing with people who’ve made a name for themselves as fitness influencers, including many who’ve leveraged their looks to amass a sizeable following. However, a new study suggests they might be hurting themselves by being too hot.
The concept of “attractiveness” can be a difficult one to quantify and define, but it’s no secret that people who are considered “good-looking” by society as a whole tend to have an edge in life.
Multiple studies have suggested people who benefit from so-called “pretty privilege” make more money than their more homely counterparts, and there’s other research that asserts you’ll be perceived as more intelligent and well-adjusted based simply upon your appearance.
The internet has made it easier than ever to leverage that particular asset for financial gain, and it seems safe to assume most influencers have an edge over the rest of the pack if they’re easy on the eyes. However, there is one particular subset that’s inextricably linked to their physical aesthetic that’s seemingly at a disadvantage if they’re overly attractive.
A study claims fitness researchers are at a disadvantage when it comes to racking up likes and followers if people think they’re too hot
Instagram and TikTok are littered with fitness influencers who dole out exercise tips and advice concerning health and wellness while chronicling their workouts and documenting the results for the world to see.
That includes plenty of people who’ve managed to cultivate an absurdly chiseled physique and others who have essentially sculpted the perfect body, and while you might think that would put them at an advantage on the engagement front, that might not actually be the case.
According to a study that was recently published in the journal Psychology & Marketing, fitness influencers might be shooting themselves in the foot by being too attractive and alienating other people who don’t find them relatable.
The paper revolves around what it dubbed the “beauty backfire effect” and an experiment that tasked participants with rating “mock Instagram posts” from “fictitious fitness influencer accounts” that featured pictures of actual influencers who had their attractiveness levels evaluated by another panel.
The content of the posts in question was identical aside from the photo of the person who was purportedly responsible for it, and the data show “extremely attractive fitness influencers got fewer likes and follows than their moderately attractive peers.”
The researchers linked that outcome to the lower levels of self-esteem participants reported after seeing content from 9s and 10s, noting “a moderately attractive fitfluencer gave some participants a small confidence boost, likely because the image felt more attainable.”
They also note this phenomenon wasn’t detected in another experiment where finance influencers were thrown into the mix, as the people in that particular realm didn’t alienate potential followers like the fitness experts did.
Thoughts and prayers.
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Study Says Fitness Influencers Might Be At A Disadvantage By Being Too Attractive
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