• Content creator Saasha Karunarathne on rethinking consumption in the age of content

As conversations around overconsumption, fast fashion, and ethical advertising gain ground, the role of influencers in shaping buying habits has come under scrutiny. In a saturated digital landscape where lifestyle content often doubles as covert marketing, the lines between authenticity and promotion continue to blur.

What does it mean to be a responsible content creator in this climate – and is it possible to critique the system while working within it? To answer these questions, The Daily Morning spoke to TV and radio presenter and content creator Saasha Karunarathne, known for her thoughtful approach to digital storytelling.

She spoke about the pressures of influencer culture, ethical brand partnerships, and why she believes consumption can be conscious without being performative.

Following are excerpts from the interview: 

Do you believe influencers have a responsibility when it comes to the messaging they put out and the products they endorse?

Absolutely, one thousand per cent. I’ve always said from the beginning that once you have a following and eyes on you, whether you like it or not, you become a role model to people. You have to move with intention. Every step you take has to be made with the knowledge that people are watching you and may follow in your footsteps. So yes, there is a massive responsibility when it comes to messaging – how we wear something, even something as simple as the text we put in our videos, or the captions we use, or what we say in interviews. All of it matters.

As for the products we endorse – again, absolutely. As long as you can keep your conscience clear and know that you’re endorsing something you’d actually use yourself, I think that’s a good place to start. Because if you feel like you’re promoting a product that you wouldn’t personally support or use, that’s the first red flag. That’s when you need to start saying no.

Do you think most influencers are aware of this responsibility?

I honestly don’t think influencers are fully aware of it. I’ve seen this happening quite a lot. I don’t want to single out just one category, but I do see it a lot among comedy creators. I feel like they often believe they have a free pass to say anything and everything, and they just mask it with, “It’s just comedy, it’s not serious.” But that’s not true.

Comedy is a powerful space. It can be used to create a massive amount of influence and even push people to think critically. Just because you’re a comedian or a comedy content creator doesn’t mean you have the freedom to say anything that comes to mind.

I also think there’s definitely more room for education and dialogue around conscious promotion. Just like you’d study media ethics in a journalism diploma, I think this kind of education needs to be offered to influencers as well. Because whether they do it professionally or not, the fact remains that their audiences are consuming that content at scale, and that needs to be monitored. Influencers definitely need support in that area.

Shopping hauls and trend-based content are very popular online. What’s your take on their impact, especially with regards to overconsumption?

Shopping hauls are actually a big part of my content – I create a lot of them, and they tend to reach millions of people. It’s a very popular trend because it helps people vicariously consume – they get to see what others are buying without having to buy it themselves. I think that’s the appeal.

Does it unintentionally encourage overconsumption? Absolutely. I’m a victim of it myself. I love watching shopping hauls, and I’ve definitely developed the habit of making a lot of online orders as a result. But that’s not to say I use every single item I order. Not at all. And that brings me to the next point.

What are your thoughts on the ‘wear it once’ mindset?

I’m not a big supporter of that mindset. I come from a family where we really had to struggle, and because of that, it’s not a mindset I’ve ever had. I genuinely value my clothes – there are some outfits I just refuse to let go of.

I love my basics, and even though I have loads of fashion items and statement pieces, about 60% of the time I find myself wearing the same staples – basic blue jeans, denim jackets, blazers, white skinnies, black skinnies. These are my go-to pieces, and I wear them a hundred million times. I still wear clothes from 2009!

The whole ‘wear it once’ trend comes from fast fashion, and it’s just something I can’t get behind. I love repurposing my items and styling them differently to make them look fresh. But this idea of wearing something once and discarding it has a huge impact – on both people’s mindsets and the environment. It’s really something we need to start addressing with our youth, to make them understand that it’s not a normal or sustainable way to live.

What do you usually do with clothes you no longer wear?

I’ve got this habit – anyone who watches my content knows that I own a lot of clothes. But what always happens is, even though I buy a lot, over time I might stop liking how certain items feel on my body, or I outgrow the style.

So, every four to six months, I go through everything and pack boxes of clothes I no longer wear. I follow the Marie Kondo method – I take each item and ask, “Does this bring me joy when I wear it?” If the answer is no, it goes into a donation pile.

One of the best ways I donate is by giving to orphanages. Sometimes I even give outfits to fans who DM me. I’ll just Uber the clothes to them if I think they’ll enjoy something I no longer wear.

One of my friends actually hosted an outfit party, which I thought was amazing. She asked her friends to bring clothes they don’t wear anymore, threw them all in a big pile, and we all exchanged items. I think that’s such a great way to reduce overconsumption and discard clothes more sustainably.

Transparency in influencer marketing is a growing concern. What can be done to make collaborations more honest and ethical?

The first thing we need to do is ensure audiences know when something is a paid advertisement. That’s a really good place to start. At the end of the day, influencers are built on trust – whether people admit it or not. The reason this industry is so huge is because we’ve built followings based on trust.

But when money is involved, some people just disregard that trust. They’ll say anything a company wants them to say, and that’s where things go wrong. It’s crucial to mark content clearly as paid partnerships or ads. That’s step one.

Step two is for influencers to think twice about what these endorsements are doing to their image. You see influencers endorsing one brand of, say, washing liquid, claiming it’s what they use every day, and then the very next day they’re endorsing a competing brand with the same claim.

The brand loses value from that, and the influencer loses the audience’s trust. And trust me, audiences aren’t stupid – they know when something’s a paid promotion. So yes, marking content as ads is a good place to start, but influencers also need to be more mindful about the deals they take.

What’s your opinion on the de-influencing trend?

I’ve only seen de-influencing happen on a very small scale in Sri Lanka – it’s not a major trend here. At the end of the day, I believe products exist for a reason. They’re often a solution to a problem in someone’s life.

So, I don’t think consumption is inherently a bad thing. We’re all just trying to solve problems in our lives. De-influencing just for the sake of it isn’t something I support, especially when people are doing it as a trend without really understanding why.

I have a nuanced perspective on this. It’s great to remind people that they don’t need to buy every single product they see. That’s very valid. But if someone genuinely needs a solution to a problem, and they find that solution through a product, then that’s where influencing really serves its purpose.

Are local audiences receptive to conversations around conscious fashion and sustainability?

No, I don’t think so – and I fully understand why. The reality is, being conscious about fashion and sustainability is a privilege. Sri Lanka is not a majority-privileged country. If you just look at the socioeconomic classes and the average income level, people are more likely to focus on survival and financial challenges than on sustainability.

To be able to say, “I’m going to spend this amount of money on a high-quality T-shirt that I’ll wear for years,” is a decision you can only make if you’re privileged. That’s the bitter truth.

If you come from a low-income or middle-class family, your priority is going to be: How do I look my best while spending the least amount of money? That’s what it comes down to. So yes, fast fashion becomes the solution.

People don’t want to wear the same thing every day – they want to look presentable, feel confident, and still manage financially. So no, local audiences aren’t very receptive to these conversations, but I don’t hold that against them. It’s simply not practical for most Sri Lankans.

Do you think influencer marketing has a significant impact on audience mindsets and behaviour?

Absolutely. The entire advertising industry has shifted to digital platforms, and a lot of marketing budgets are now allocated to influencer marketing. Ask any brand manager – they’ll confirm this.

Influencers carry a lot of power. It’s in the way they live, what they show, the items they wear – people want to emulate them. They’re the new reality stars. There was a time when we looked up to Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn – global superstars whose every move people wanted to imitate.

Then that shifted to actors, actresses, and musicians. And now, it’s influencers. They are the stars of our time. That’s just the reality we live in.