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Lifestyle gurus (also called lifestyle coaches, lifestyle trainers, lifestyle consultants) trained people to understand how they can make themselves happier through changes in their lifestyle. Lifestyle gurus are a profession popularised by several celebrities, including Cherie Blair and Madonna in the 1990s and 2000s.[1]

Prominent examples of lifestyle gurus include Carole Caplin, who worked as a lifestyle guru for the Blair family.[2]

Lifestyle Gurus' Contributions to Society

Lifestyle gurus embody the para-social, leveraging intimacy, authenticity, and integrity. They are enabled by social media to attain micro-celebrity status and influence, demonstrating the emotional investment and trust they garner from the public.[3]

Spiritual gurus have significantly influenced consumer behavior, especially in the FMCG sector. Their endorsements are based on public affinity towards spirituality, lending credibility to the products they promote. This has led to a competitive edge for brands like Patanjali and Sri Sri Tattva against established companies (Narendra et al., 2022).[4]

Influencers, especially in health and wellness, effectively engage their audience through "influencer pedagogy". This method, while indirect, educates followers on social media platforms through relatable interactions, cultivating authenticity and expertise (Hendry et al., 2021).[5]

Criticism

Lifestyle gurus have come under heavy criticism in recent years, with most criticisms concerning their utility.[2] Other criticisms have centred on the perception that they are a symptom of the indecisiveness of today's society.[6]

Frank Furedi, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has been a prominent critic of lifestyle gurus.[7] Lifestyle gurus have received criticism for preaching unscientific ideas and thus influencing public opinion.[1]

A 2017 article in Vox accused personal-growth gurus of being "all smoke and mirrors", "a hypocrite's game", and "bullshit artistry" aimed at making money from selling a product, such as books or conferences.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Randerson, James (2007-01-03). "Neutralise radiation and stay off milk: the truth about celebrity health claims". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2014-09-29. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  2. ^ a b Womack, Sarah; Petre, Jonathan (2005-10-28). "How the cult of the guru puts gullible nation under its spell". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2006-02-11. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  3. ^ Baker, Stephanie Alice; Rojek, Chris (September 2020). "The Belle Gibson scandal: The rise of lifestyle gurus as micro-celebrities in low-trust societies". Journal of Sociology. 56 (3): 388–404. doi:10.1177/1440783319846188. ISSN 1440-7833 – via SAGE Journals.
  4. ^ Narendra, N.; Suman, P.; Indira, S. K.; Singh, Brijesh; Nair, Jessy (2022-02-25). "Spiritual Gurus' Influence on the Customer Purchase Intention of FMCG Products Endorsed by Them". Shanlax International Journal of Management. 9 (S1-Feb): 7–20. doi:10.34293/management.v9iS1.4843. ISSN 2581-9402.
  5. ^ Hendry, Natalie Ann; Hartung, Catherine; Welch, Rosie (2022-10-02). "Health education, social media, and tensions of authenticity in the ' influencer pedagogy' of health influencer Ashy Bines". Learning, Media and Technology. 47 (4): 427–439. doi:10.1080/17439884.2021.2006691. hdl:11343/295003. ISSN 1743-9884.
  6. ^ Knight, India (2005-10-30). "Tone it down, gurus". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2010-06-05. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  7. ^ Furedi, Frank (2005-11-18). "The age of unreason". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  8. ^ Goodman, Michele (2017-01-23). "I was a self-help guru. Here's why you shouldn't listen to people like me". vox.com. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2018-01-30.


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