Social media has certainly transformed the world in which we live. Influencers with millions of followers can command and hold attention long enough to deliver any message they please at any given moment. Most often, that power is used simply for attention while in some cases it is used to enact positive change for a lot of people. Sometimes though, it goes in a very different direction.
ABC News Studios and Hulu’s The Age of Influence is a new docuseries that examines the dark side of influencer culture through some of the biggest social media scandals of our time. From sweeping cons to viral cancellation campaigns, each episode of the six-part series gives an unfiltered look at an infamous influencer saga.
It’s likely easy for many to simply laugh off this concept. Those who do not engross themselves in Instagram, Twitter and the like, are not going to connect with these stories on the surface. There are documentaries out there covering topics that are much higher stakes, so why care about some 20-year-old ripping off their followers for a few hundred dollars? However, while these stories do start off as relatively harmless, they escalate incredibly quickly. The crimes of which some of these “influencers” are accused are huge and carry very lengthy sentences with them. Some of these stories go from stealing checks and false advertising to identity theft and kidnapping.
And of course, as is often the case with ABC News Studios, the storytelling is expertly done. These stories become so incredibly tense as you hear from those involved and how they were impacted by these “influencers” in different ways. This doc may not have the same emotional component that a lot of these true crime projects do, but the tension is certainly still there.
While we do get to hear these stories from a lot of different angles, the only downside to this series is that we never actually get to hear from the “influencers” in question. Obviously, this would be nearly impossible as many of them are currently awaiting sentencing for their crimes or even serving out a sentence, but it’s the one element that feels as though it is missing. That is however, somewhat addressed with the inclusion of older interviews or even some clips of the “influencers’” own content.
As is always the case with this type of series, not every installment is going to hit the same. Some episodes are simply going to be more interesting than others and that will of course be subjective. Some episodes will have higher stakes while other may connect on a personal level for some of the audience. The important thing though is that the storytelling is consistently strong from episode to episode and the twists and turns will keep viewers engaged.
Overall, The Age of Influence delivers in a bigger way than the concept would make it seem. It’s certainly not the most powerful or emotional documentary series out there, but the stories are told very well and they escalate in a way that will keep the audience glued to their screens.
The Age of Influence begins streaming Monday, June 5 exclusively on Hulu.