If you've ever watched a daily vlog, a package unboxing, or a clothing haul on YouTube, you may understand the appeal of lifestyle influencers. These manicured, subtly-filtered people — who are usually women — enchant their viewers with their ringlit videos and highly-curated Instagram feeds.

Even before COVID, these types of influencers were facing backlash for a number of reasons — quitting their "real" jobs, contributing to unattainable body image ideals, selling snake oil, among others.