Book #47
People Like Her: A Novel
By Ellery Lloyd
A Modern Thriller
I usually don’t like thrillers, I figure life is scary enough. But this fictional novel caught my attention as a conversation starter for the ethics and dangers of our modern online world. And I couldn’t put it down.
It is definitely twisted, so it might not be for everyone. It left me feeling unsettled by how strange our modern world has become.
*This post will contain spoilers.
A Modern Family
The story centers around the Jackson family: an influencer mom, a writer dad, and two small kids.
They navigate through a series of distinctly modern ethical dilemmas: how much of their kids they should show online, managing relationships (genuine ones and those that benefit the brand), comparing the husband’s “real” writing with the wife’s “fake” Instagram communication, and the blurred lines between internet honesty and dishonesty.
It turns out life doesn’t fit neatly into a snapshot and a short caption. And the Jacksons embody many of the contradictions built into influencer culture itself.
Truth-ish
The online version of “truth” tends to be highly curated and embellished- often to the point of departing from actual reality.
It’s what happens when our lives become content. We stop living them and start producing them, as if life is a movie and we are the main character.
I do take some issue with what I just said, though. Because momfluencer culture arose because it filled the need of a forgotten group of people: new moms. Most of whom put themselves last, far from being the “main character”.
The Rise of Momfluencer Culture
New moms tend to be isolated, their schedules are erratic, and their days full of unpaid labour that often isn’t recognized by society.
So when a fellow mom online recognizes their value, struggles, and hard work, it can feel incredibly validating. Like having a best friend in your pocket, available whenever you need them, who is going through the same things you are.
And short-form content is perfect for new moms who often only get short, unpredictable stretches of free time. It isn’t worth starting a movie or opening a book if you don’t know if you can finish it. Better to just pull up YouTube or TikTok, then close it when you need to.
However, this type of content has drawbacks. It is designed to be addictive and it masquerades as spontaneous when it is often heavily produced.
Below are several ways in which the “truth” can be intentionally engineered online, with examples based on the book.
Cultivated Online Truth
Background
When reporters come to the Jackson’s home to interview them, the family seeks to convey a state of aesthetic chaos. Not the genuine mess of most young families, but cute toys and thoughtfully chic books intentionally scattered about- as if to say to their audience, “We are so cool and likeable!”
But that is not how their house normally looks. The messes tend to be grosser and they do not mention the cleaning lady that comes twice a week, because their audience wouldn’t relate to that.
Also, influencer homes tend to be open spaces with white walls, plenty of natural light, and wall accessories that look good on camera or are useful for filming, such as a full length mirror to show their outfit.
StoryLines
Content
Most of Emmy Jackson’s content is a heavily edited, embellished, and well-chosen version of reality. Both struggles and mundane moments are exaggerated and shaped into compelling subject-matter.
For example, she pretends that her baby has trouble sleeping through the night, because a sleeping baby isn’t good or relatable content.
And the harder she struggles, the more praise she gets from followers.
Even tragedy- genuine and contrived- becomes highly consumable content.
In the book, Emmy takes a picture of her child in the hospital just in case she needs to soften her image at a later date.
And a real-world instance of this inclination comes from another author in my 52-Book Reading Challenge. Shari Franke writes how her influencer mother would delight in drama, illness, or injury- because those are great content.
Narrative
Often Influencers will emphasize their “honesty” in these moments, but this is simply over-sharing or selective honesty. They never share anything that could hurt their brand.
When novelist husband, Dan, compares his book writing to his wife’s Instagram writing, he notes that neither is thoughtless. She strategizes her words just as much as he does. And she taps into the ability to connect with people and make them feel seen, which is a rare and genuine gift.
Still, there is something about this type of communication that does not feel genuine despite its effectiveness at connection and promotion.
Products
Momfluencer Emmy only promotes products that she claims she “needs”- which means she often has to get creative on why she needs so much stuff. A growing list of “must-haves” means both more content and earnings for her.
Suddenly clothing choices and product placement become intentional. Even though they are presented as haphazard.
And even living beings- like children- become sources of marketing and revenue.
Relationships
How Influencers Use Loved Ones as Side Characters
The influencer is the main character but side characters are necessary in order to provide depth and entertainment.
But do family members and friends like being used as content when you are the main character? Or would they rather enjoy spending time with you without being responsible for aesthetics and branding?
Can a person ever truly exist in multiple roles- family, friend, employee, business partner, or fan- or will the relationship inevitably shift, breaking down or settling into just one of these categories?
Influencer Friendships
Because of these blurry lines and intersecting intentions, influencer friend groups have fraught relationships. They may start out genuine, but have an undercurrent of competition and personal gain. This is what happens when many “main characters” are in a room at once.
And when messages like female friendship and empowerment become lucrative business strategies, then do they still remain those things? Or are they now based on self-interest? The relationships feel only useful as long as they are mutually beneficial.
The Parasocial Relationship Between Influencer & Follower
The parasocial relationship between an influencer and their followers is similarly symbiotic.
The influencer benefits financially when they acknowledge, affirm, and inspire their audience- or even incite them.
Followers benefit by having the influencer on demand, available at their fingertips.
But do followers actually like an influencer or do they just enjoy the way they validate them and are available to distract them 24/7?
This dynamic creates an echo-chamber that inevitably turns inauthentic, unless strict boundaries are in place. The influencer can’t tell their audience the truth without risking alienation and the audience will inevitably be disappointed by the influencer.
Such as if a mommy influencer stops having children. Their audience might not follow them as they develop into a parent of adult children.
And this isn’t just the case for motherhood subcultures. The same is true for body positivity, activism, toxic masculinity, etc. Such as a body positive influencer who suddenly loses weight. Their audience may feel betrayed, more than proud.
Online Ethics
The online world operates under a completely different value system than our offline one. And this book shows this well.
Online
- attention is rewarded above all else
- self-centering is expected
- relationships are often transactional
- there are often few consequences for dishonesty
- trust is quickly given
Offline
- who you are actually matters
- relationships are built by caring about others
- interactions are often messy and unedited
- there is less room for curation or performance
- trust is typically earned slowly
Because of this divergence, one of the greatest unspoken dangers of the internet isn’t the people lurking online- it is the way it subtly reshapes who you are.
People Like Her shows that strangers, loved ones, and even ourselves can cause harm when our online worldview becomes our actual one.
Messy Bun Book Lover
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