Influencer and Netflix actress Ana Wolfermann is ready to give up being a social media star for a 9 to 5 job

Being a social media influencer appears to be a very fun, easy and glamourous way to make money - and usually lots of it.

A glance at the TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, X, or Snapchat pages of these online stars often show them in exotic locations, attending exclusive events and promoting the latest must-have gadgets or fashions - and in many instances these things have been gifted.

Where these things haven't been gifted it's obvious that being an influencer is a lucrative role for the most successful influencers because they are able to buy these lavish and expensive things for themselves. In short, these people really do seem to be living the dream.

It's no surprise, therefore, that being a influencer is a career aspiration for many young people, and as a result a university is going to offer the first ever UK degree which will teach people how to become a professional social media star this September.

But, one social media influencer says she is ready to give up this lifestyle and would instead prefer to have a 9-5 job. Ana Wolfermann, aged 23, boasts more than one combined million followers across her TikTok and Instagram profiles but she says she'd now prefer to have a more 'normal' job.

Her social media presence was raised while she was studying at university, and by the time she completed her degree she realised that she could make a full-time job from social media influencing. But now, a year after graduating, she has realised that it's not all it's cracked up to be.

She said in an interview with US-based publication Fortune that she has found that the all-consuming nature of being an influencer isn't worth the rewards she was receiving; be that followers, fan appreciation, financial payment or freebies.

She said: "I have a weird relationship with the fact that I’ve been taking time out of my day just to go on TikTok - and that that’s kind of productive because it’s industry research. At the end of the day, I’ve got to keep up with the trends.

"I've always loved the power of media, and making videos where I capture my life, and bringing joy to people's life through media. And I love social media - I want to continue to do it. But making it my full-time thing has meant that I was putting all of my focus towards that. I started to have very real thoughts of 'I don't think that I want to do this full time'. I don't think that I want my entire life to be about 'how can I market my life?'"

Wolfermann, who lives in New York, United States, started sharing videos on her TikTok account during the Covid-19 pandemic and is known for sharing her fashion and beauty looks. She also shares her lifestyle videos, her personal goals, advice to young girls, and promotes positivity, creativity and love.

'It led me down a very narcissistic and anxious route'

But, she said that the experience of being an influencer was becoming more negative for her, and she felt overwhelmed by the need to constantly share new content. She said that she would wake up every single day and think 'what can I say today? What can I share today? What can I post today?'.

She added: "My entire day became focused on what I was doing and what I had to say. That's fine when you have something you're excited to share, or there's an outfit you want to show people because you just bought it and you love it. But because it was the constant thought in my head and my main focus, it just led me down a very narcissistic and anxious route.

She also admitted that she prioritised TikTok views, and ensuring that people liked her because the engagement on her post was based on "how much people care" about her. She continued: "I put a lot of pressure on myself every day to deliver something. How much people want to have an opinion on my life . . . directly converts towards my income, so I don't know if doing that full-time will generate joy."

'Disapointment' of being an influencer

She went on to say that her friends and family thought that she was "possibly delusional" when she told them she wanted to give up influencing in favour of working for someone else in a 9-5 job. But, she stuck to her decision and said that the reality of being a social media star was a "disappointment".

Wolfermann is also known for her role as Rosie Rivera on Telemundo's Netflix series 'Mariposa de Barrio', playing a young version of main character Adela Morales.

When asked what she was most looking forward to about working in a 9-5 job she said that she was excited to work with others. She added that she would gain gratification from gaining praise from her superiors. "I grew up as an actress, and when a director would tell me ‘I need you to do this’ and I would do it, I drew satisfaction from knowing I did a good job."

The content creator has not shared what types of job she is applying for, but has said what skills she thinks being an influencer has given her which will be valuable in the workplace. She listed those skills as "time management, wearing all the hats, and doing things all on my own, getting things done. . . networking skills and building brand relationships".