Influencers may appear flawless online today, but experts warn their lifestyles could leave shocking long-term consequences.
Gambling site Casino.org has unveiled a futuristic model named Ava, showing how the average content creator might look in 2050.
The grotesque figure features patchy skin, rounded shoulders, a hunched back, a pointed “witch chin,” and even bald spots caused by years of cosmetic procedures and digital strain.
“While the career can be glamorous, it can also bring significant changes to our lifestyle,” wrote the gambling experts.
They explained that “algorithm-chasing, beauty standard pressures, and non-stop content creation can take a visible toll on both body and mind.”
They added: “From endless brand trips to Las Vegas to the daily grind of filters and photo shoots, her lifestyle has left its mark.
"Backed by medical research, Ava’s appearance is the sum of influencers habits.”
A warning for the future of social media stars
Experts compared Ava’s creation to Oscar Wilde’s Gothic tale The Picture of Dorian Gray — but for the social media age.
“While Ava is the face of tomorrow's social media star, she is always today's warning,” they explained.
She is designed to demonstrate the long-term health consequences of the influencer lifestyle, a profession now estimated to include 30–50 million people worldwide and growing by 10–20% each year.
Hunched posture and ‘tech neck’
Much of Ava’s future deformity comes from long hours hunched over smartphones.
According to a 2023 BBC report, some influencers work up to 90 hours a week, with much of this time spent online.
The result: chronic neck pain, rounded shoulders, and a permanent forward head tilt.
“Some researchers have suggested that frequent smartphone use can lead to the use of a non-neutral neck posture or the development of musculoskeletal disorders,” wrote experts in the journal Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery.
“This flexed neck posture can increase the pain of the cervical spine and induce muscle strain in adjacent portions of the cervical spine.”
Patchy skin and ‘digital aging’
Casino.org cautioned that influencers’ skin will also suffer from daily cosmetic routines.
“Daily layers of makeup, frequent skincare product swaps, and constant cosmetic application can trigger skin irritation, inflammation, and patchiness,” they explained.
They added that long-term LED exposure from ring lights and screens accelerates “digital aging,” which “can cause pigmentation changes, fine lines, and lasting inflammation.”
Under-eye bags and eye strain
The Ava model also reveals the toll of long editing sessions and live streams.
Known medically as digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome, the condition causes “constant redness and dryness, to blurry vision and deep dark circles ringed by puffy under-eye bags,” according to the site.
Health experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule to help alleviate symptoms: for every 20 minutes staring at a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
But for influencers, the pressure to stay connected can also cause sleepless nights.
Constant notifications and blue light throw off circadian rhythms, leading to “chronic fatigue, thinning hair from disrupted melatonin production, and swollen lower eyelids,” experts warned.
Overfilled face and cosmetic side effects
Cosmetic fillers remain popular among influencers, but experts say that their overuse could permanently distort facial features.
“This overcorrection results in puffy cheeks, a pointed ‘witch chin,’ and an artificial facial texture,” Casino.org explained.
Ava’s appearance was also inspired by social media-driven beauty trends such as “Snapchat Dysmorphia” and “Pillow Face Syndrome.”
Hair thinning and bald spots
Even hair won’t escape the damage.
Constant styling, heavy extensions, and tight ponytails can weaken hair follicles, resulting in bald patches, a receding hairline, and thinning hair.
“The weight and constant tugging at the hair follicle can lead to a condition called traction alopecia,” warned dermatologist and alopecia expert Aamna Adel in a reel, per Casino.org. “Over time, it can be irreversible, and it can lead to permanent hair loss.”