Robert Downey Jr. Questions Smartphone Popularity Contests in Age of Influencers

Robert Downey Jr. recently sat down for a chat on the Conversations for Our Daughters podcast and threw some shade at social media influencers, calling the idea that they are the stars of the future absolute nonsense. The Iron Man icon noted that people these days can create celebrity status without ever doing much more than pointing a phone at themselves. He added that he does not look at that as a negative thing, just a new challenge for anyone trying to stand out as an individual. Have you ever watched someone film themselves eating cereal and wondered how that qualifies as a career?

Robert Downey Jr. Unplugs From Influencer Religion

Influencers have taken over the internet, but Downey thinks the smarter part of today’s youth will reject that path and aim for something more meaningful. He hopes that most young people in America will say that the influencer lifestyle is not their thing, and that they want to go build something, educate themselves, and have more inputs so their output is not just self-aggrandizing. Influencers might have millions of followers, but Downey questions whether that actually counts as a real achievement or just a popularity contest with a smartphone.

The Oscar winner admitted that his own fourteen-year-old son got caught up in the whole influencer thing, asking viewers for donations if they liked the way he played a video game. Influencers, according to Downey, can become almost like a religion for impressionable fans, with creators playing the role of evangelical hucksters for the information age. He was quick to clarify that he isn’t making any harsh rulings on the entire trend, since everyone is navigating uncharted waters, and the landscape remains somewhat wild and unexplored.

Iron Man Fires At Attention Economy

Influencers might get a bad rap from Downey, but he also admitted that he has gotten to know a few of them while promoting films. He found many of them to be grounded, accomplished, and genuinely cool people, which complicates his earlier criticism. These individuals clearly occupy a weird space in modern culture; some are shallow attention seekers, and others are hardworking creators who just found a different path to success.

Downey himself has a massive social media presence with fifty-eight million followers on Instagram, thanks largely to his years as Tony Stark in the Marvel movies. He tries not to get too deep down the rabbit hole of social media because he does not wish to be consumed by it. Influencers might love sharing every detail of their lives, but Downey recognizes that even a casual-looking post is usually manufactured for the audience, which he calls B.S.

Downey Says Perform Less, Build More

The actor recalled watching Jon Favreau tweet from the stage at Comic Con while showing the first Iron Man teaser, and seeing the audience react differently than ever before. Influencers and social media changed the relationship between creators and fans, turning the audience into something like a steering committee that feels involved in the process. Downey returns to the Marvel franchise later this year as Doctor Doom in Avengers Doomsday, so he knows a thing or two about massive fan followings.

A person has to wonder whether Downey’s critique of influencers comes from a place of genuine concern or just the grumbling of an older generation confused by new technology. He called the idea that these individuals are the stars of the future absolute nonsense, but he also acknowledged that some influencers are grounded and cool people. Influencers might be here to stay, and Downey seems to accept that reality, even if he does not fully embrace it.

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