I have two main issues with influencers:

1)The free food. I just can't get not paying a business because you're going to make a post about them. If you were truly about the food and giving your followers an honest opinion of a restaurant you would try to be as unbiased as possible. Getting free meals cannot make you unbiased.

2. Influencer "reviews have no real substance. Everything is a "vibe", every dish ever is "so good". Really Out of 200 restaurants you've reviewed you haven't found a shit one? Like not even a dish you haven't liked? So this leads me back to issue 1. They suggest to people that they spend their hard-earned money at places that may not be genuinely good. One of the influencers featured in this article reviewed a restaurant I worked at. I knew the food wasn't good but when their review came out it was all about "the vibe and this restaurant is so good for date night." I'm sorry but the restaurant I was working at would have ruined my date night.

"Influencers" are hurting the food scene and not giving proper due to actual great restaurants. If every restaurant is good, no restaurant can be outstanding. By the way I am not old I am 25. I am just someone who genuinely cares about restaurants, hospitality, and DC having an overall good scene that we can be proud of.