By Sumita Chakraborty, TheGlitz Media

Influencers… I’ll admit it… I was utterly, hopelessly lost in the swirling, fast-scrolling, vibe-heavy world of YouTube influencers. Call it the age gap, call it good ol’ print journalist loyalty, or just plain old-fashioned “taste”… but I’ve never really understood this new universe of trending sounds, hip thrusts, neon captions and 15-second breakdowns of deeply complicated emotions.

Give me longform, give me gravitas, give me a complete sentence.

But then, something shifted.

Influencers Reloaded

While casually surfing through an episode of Samay Raina’s infamous show, India’s Got Latent Show, I found myself unexpectedly intrigued. The digital drama was brewing strong and the names flitting of influencers – Samay, Ranveer, Apoorva – all seemed to be talking super fast with the kind of edgy coolness that felt… well, scripted. Not inauthentic, just a little over-rehearsed, like everyone was under immense pressure to be iconic every second. Honestly, it felt like watching an episode of adulting thrown chaotically by the algorithm.

But then came Apoorva Makhija, aka The Rebel Kid. A sharp-tongued, fiery, feather-ruffling content creator who, to be honest, activated my deepest mothery instincts. She made some, let’s say, questionable statements. Weird, even. Definitely crossed a few lines. But nothing – nothing, I repeat – warranted the kind of rape and death threats she began receiving on social media. When her tearful comeback video dropped, I found myself swallowing a lump in my throat.

Until she dropped that line. “My tarot reader said someone has done kala jaadu on me…” Cue record scratch. My ears perked up like a desi aunty hearing the word “rishta.”

But the real twist? Her fans believed it. Some were quick to name a certain Rida, accusing her of witchy sabotage with all the digital drama of a daily soap crossed with Charmed.

Who was this Rida? I clicked. I scrolled. I tumbled down the rabbit hole.

And what a find she was.

Rida Tharanaa: The Girl They Called a Witch, But Who Cast a Spell Anyway

Elegant, dusky, and glowing with a confidence that doesn’t scream for attention but commands it anyway, Rida was a revelation. I’d never heard of her before but here was this magnetic, poised influencer who proudly celebrated her skin tone, her roots, and her family (including a ridiculously adorable 7-year-old brother Zayn who practically steals every frame he’s in).

Unlike the edgy rebellion of Apoorva, Rida’s rebellion was quieter, more subtle. It came in the form of self-love, dignity, and curated chaos. Sure, she posted the occasional wild reel or unhinged trend-follow… but it was always done with a kind of self-awareness that felt refreshing, almost defiant yet done with elegance and poise.

And while the internet tried to turn her into the villain of a dark magical saga, I found myself rooting for her instead.

She wasn’t casting spells.
She was the spell.

So What Are We Really Watching Here?

As I ping-ponged between Apoorva’s angst and Rida’s elegance, between internet trolling and Instagram glam, I couldn’t help but reflect on something deeper: This ‘influencer’ generation isn’t just performing for the algorithm… they’re also navigating adulthood live on the world’s most judgmental stage. They’re discovering boundaries, identity, and voice… and sometimes they mess up. Publicly. Spectacularly.

But that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of empathy.

Apoorva, with all her fire and flaws, is someone still finding her shape. And yes, some of her statements were jarring, but the online hate she got? It says more about us than her.

And Rida? Well, she reminded me that in a world where loud often wins, quiet power can still shine the brightest.

TheGlitz Final Scroll

I’m still not fully converted. I still roll my eyes at the fourth transition reel in one scroll. I still miss the click of a typewriter and the thrill of an actual byline in a magazine.

But maybe, just maybe, the world of influencers isn’t all noise. …Maybe it’s also vulnerability, voice, and a whole lot of youthful chaos with a ring light filter.