Merrian Webster defines ‘influencer’ as one who exerts influence or inspires or guides the actions of others. Social media influencers have a huge fan following these days running into millions. So naturally, they should not post anything that sounds tone-deaf as a majority of people are struggling in the pandemic.
But there are some influencers who did not restrain themselves from making insensitive remarks and posts during the pandemic.
1. Travel and fashion blogger Barbora Ondrackova posted a travel wrap 2020 video just before the new year.
The blogger and influencer who has over 552k followers on Instagram apparently visited 10 countries and 31 cities last year. She posted a ‘2020 wrap’ video on TikTok ahead of the new year showing places she visited and faced a backlash for bragging about it all.

2. This one influencer was pissed about the non-existent internet in Turtuk, Ladakh and whined about not being able to upload videos.
Influencers want free trips, and still constantly complain and whine about lack of network in remote corners of the country.
— BrainChand (@DailyPassenger_) July 18, 2021
People there have lived their lives in such conditions. If you want high speed internet for your social media obsession, you should stay at your home. pic.twitter.com/qTLa6wjWRk
3. This influencer offered counselling sessions for ₹1500 despite not being a certified therapist.
Rs 1500 (?!?) for a session by someone who’s not even a certified therapist/psychologist. Time that these so-called “influencers” understand the implications of their idiotic tone-deaf actions. Probably she has hidden/deleted that post after all the flak but that changes nothing. pic.twitter.com/96OlGJnE0h
— June Paul (@journojuno) July 7, 2020
4. Chrissy Teigen shared on Twitter that she and her husband were once duped into spending $13,000 on a bottle of Cabernet.
one time john and I were at a restaurant and the waiter recommended a nice Cabernet. We got the bill and it was 13,000 dollars. HOW DO U CASUALLY RECOMMEND THAT WINE. we didn’t even finish it and it had been cleared!!!
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) February 3, 2021
People were quick to point out how tone-deaf the tweet was at a time when many have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
one time I was forced into an ambulance and I am still paying the bill for the under 10 minute ride to the hospital 4 years later so I get where you’re coming from
— Very Famous Guy (@cocainekarate) February 3, 2021
5. Charlotte Crosby joked about gaining weight in the lockdown and how it became her new lockdown hobby.
I took up a new hobby in lockdown and I’ve managed to keep it up! Turns out I’m really really fucking good at it.
— Charlotte Crosby (@Charlottegshore) December 9, 2020
The hobby is.
Putting weight on 👍🏼
This did not go down well with the followers who thought it was insensitive.
Tweets like this from influencers literally boil my blood, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic can u please not make people think that putting a bit of weight on is a bad thing, especially when ur audience is mainly young girls 🙂 so insensitive when u have a huge platform https://t.co/RNnjWWKtWh
— Amelia 🌻 (@GivensAmelia) December 9, 2020
6. This Instagram influencer received flak for a post asking people to not talk about the dead and appeals for injections and beds.

i’m so sorry about posting this & taking up space on the feed but i’m realllllly pissed off rn. she has 30k+ followers this is absolutely irresponsible and privileged pic.twitter.com/IVaOgx4oCX
— Rifa (@jhumkawali) April 24, 2021
What does she wants to talk about then Maybelline and cute dresses ?? These privileged influencers with big ass follower count are the most insensitive people i have seen . Yedzave kuthche https://t.co/rbz9hXAHTo
— Jye 🌿 (@DushtKanya) April 24, 2021
These type of influencers are a DISGRACE to humanity. I am all for feeling good and promoting a positive state of being in the face of adversity but one shouldn't be so disconnected from reality that they are dismissive and insensitive to the pain SO MANY OF US are going through. pic.twitter.com/YdAtwZfJw8
— PS (@PSWithLove__) April 24, 2021
7. This Humans of Bombay post featuring Sanjana Sanghi and her domestic workers was called out for pure tokenism coming from a place of privilege.


8. The Love Island star, Laura Anderson, was called out for posting beach photos while claiming to be on business trips.
Talking about how the social media backlash impacted her, she broke down and said:
Some people don’t really understand Instagram but you have to constantly be engaging or your insights will go down and I can lose money and jobs. I’ll be honest, it’s a big part of my income. That’s just the way it is for me just now. I sort of have to please strangers to make an income… It was a really hard decision to go over.
Crying over losing followers and income, she said:
I’ve lost followers, I’ve lost jobs.
Can these “influencers” stop being so tone deaf? There are real issues in the world, too.