Apoorva Mukhija, the 28-year-old Mumbai-based influencer and content creator with over 1.2 million Instagram followers, candidly addressed the dark side of social media during a panel discussion at the Social Samosa Summit in Delhi on October 17, 2025. Known for her lifestyle vlogs, beauty tutorials, and relatable humor, Mukhija revealed her growing fatigue with the platform’s commercialization, describing it as a “pressure cooker of content creation” that has left her feeling depleted. In a conversation moderated by digital strategist Sucharita Cy, she discussed how the shift from organic sharing to monetized posts has eroded authenticity, resonating with creators and users amid the ₹101 billion digital economy in India. The Commercialization Trap: From Passion to Performance Mukhija’s journey started with fun, unfiltered posts about her daily life, but she lamented how algorithms and brand deals have turned it into a “9-to-5 job with no off switch.” “Social media was meant for connection, but now it’s a marketplace where every post is a pitch,” she said, highlighting how influencers must churn out 5-7 pieces weekly to stay relevant. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube, with their sponsored content mandates, have commodified personal expression, she argued, leading to burnout rates of 70% among Indian creators, per a 2025 Hootsuite report. “I wake up thinking about engagement metrics instead of coffee—it’s exhausting,” Mukhija confessed, echoing a sentiment shared by peers like Kusha Kapila, who stepped back in 2023 for similar reasons. Fatigue from the Content Grind: A Creator’s Breaking Point Mukhija detailed her personal toll: sleepless nights scripting “relatable” reels, anxiety over algorithm changes, and the loss of joy in sharing. “When likes dictate your worth, it’s not self-expression—it’s self-exploitation,” she reflected, noting how sponsored posts, comprising 60% of her feed, blur lines between authenticity and advertising. The panel, attended by 500 digital marketers, discussed “content fatigue,” where creators face 40% higher stress levels than average users, according to a 2025 IAMAI study. Mukhija advocated for “digital detoxes” and platform reforms, like better mental health resources, to reclaim the space. “I am fatigued, but I am not quitting—it’s about reclaiming my voice,” she affirmed, inspiring a standing ovation. A Wake-Up Call for Creators and Platforms Mukhija’s candor has sparked a ripple effect, trending #SocialMediaFatigue with 500,000 X posts in 24 hours, from creators like Ankur Warikoo sharing burnout stories to users demanding algorithm transparency. In India’s diverse 780-language landscape, where 500 million engage daily (Statista, 2025), her words highlight the shift from “fun scrolls” to “forced feeds,” especially among Gen Z influencers facing 30% higher anxiety rates, per a 2024 NIMHANS study. “Apoorva’s honesty is a lifeline—social media needs a heart check,” tweeted one supporter. As she plans a “content sabbatical,” her fatigue fuels calls for sustainable digital careers. A Scroll Towards Sanity Apoorva Mukhija’s social media fatigue isn’t a rant—it’s a reckoning. Amid likes and losses, it asks: Can platforms prioritize people over posts? Her answer, raw and real, demands yes, urging a kinder feed for creators and consumers alike.
-By Manoj H