Influencer Burnout Is on the Rise. A New Mental Health Service Wants to HelpNEWS | 13 May 2025Jayde Powell doesn’t plan on being an influencer forever. In fact, the 32-year-old’s goal is to get off social media by the time she’s 40.
Powell is also a social media marketing strategist and content creator who posts around one video per day, primarily on LinkedIn. She attends events by brands like Uber and Delta Airlines and advises others on how to land brand partnerships. A few weeks ago, she posted that she’d made over $50,000 in the first quarter of the year.
Despite her success, Powell says she has already suffered the negative effects of being chronically online.
“I just do not think it’s OK to be waking up and looking at my phone every morning,” she says, noting she started wearing glasses that filter blue light in 2021 in an effort to relieve the migraines she has suffered from constantly staring at a screen. She admits she’s addicted to social media and the dopamine that comes with the highs of engagement.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but also it’s true.”
Powell sees a therapist about once a month and says the “majority” of her sessions are spent talking about career-related issues, including burnout, the constant pressure to stay relevant in her field, and harassment from the public. While she says most of her creator friends want a therapist, due to the instability of their income “it’s almost seen as a luxury.”
CreatorCare, a newly launched telehealth therapy service, aims to bridge that gap by providing sliding-scale therapy that’s specifically tailored to people working in the creator economy. The venture—a joint initiative between the telehealth company Revive Health Therapy and the community group Creators 4 Mental Health—will provide people with access to human therapists, with virtual sessions ranging from $60 to $180.
The launch comes as more creators are speaking out about the industry’s grind. In February, YouTuber Mr. Beast told host Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast, “If my mental health was a priority, I wouldn't be as successful as I am.” There have also been wider pushes to regulate how these workers are treated by the platforms they populate—and create profit for. A research study on influencers published in the journal Digital Health in 2024 found a “significant association” between extended social media use and heightened negative emotions, with those making less than $10,000 from their posting likely to feel worse.
CreatorCare cofounder Shira Lazar, 42, says although she loves the creativity and community that comes with working in the field, the “fear of disappearing fuels burnout in a system that constantly demands you feed the feeds.” Creators struggle with anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and income that can fluctuate wildly from month to month, she says. Creators can also struggle to form a strong sense of identity outside of who they present as on social media, Lazar says.
At the same time, she points out, it’s a highly sought-after career choice, with 57 percent of Gen Z respondents saying they want to become an influencer, according to a 2023 survey by research firm Morning Consult.Author: Reece Rogers. Manisha Krishnan. Kate Knibbs. Joel Khalili. Paresh Dave. Elana Klein. Steven Levy. Martin Reeves. Justin Ling. Laura Holliday. Source
