10 Reasons Why Lowbrow Content Destroys Your Reputation on Social Media
“Going viral isn’t worth your credibility.” – Unknown
In the high-speed world of social media and the internet in general, the temptation to pursue clicks, likes, and shares can be overwhelming. For many content creators, lowbrow content—think shock value, crass humor, silly gossip, or recycled internet drama—seems like the fastest way to increase engagement. But there’s a catch: while it might boost up your numbers temporarily, it can seriously damage your reputation in the long run.
What Is Lowbrow Content?
Lowbrow content is material that appeals to basic or superficial tastes, often lacking intellectual, cultural, or creative depth. Common examples include:
- Musty humor or explicit innuendos
- Clickbait or hyped-up content for views
- Provocative stunts for shock value
- Oversaturated meme content with no depth and originality
- Content that’s obnoxious, insensitive, or culturally tone-deaf
While some of this may attract some quicky attention, it’s very rare that that kind of content will earn you any long-term respect or audience loyalty.
If you’re trying to build a brand or creative career that is taken seriously and long-lasting, here are 10 reasons why you should think twice before dumpster-diving into the excessive amount of digital trash out there.
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It Wastes Your Credibility
Lowbrow content signals to your audience—and potential collaborators—that you seek attention over integrity. Your audience will recognize how much you place more value on attention than integrity. The more you post clownish or distasteful material, the less likely people are going to trust your voice when it comes to serious matters. Thought leadership will become impossible when your brand is based on immaturity.
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It Attracts the Wrong Audience
When you chase a viral moment, you run the risk of attracting the wrong audience. If you seriously want a loyal and engaged community, then you don’t want followers who only pop up for controversy or shock humor. Lowbrow content pulls in low-grade followers who are less likely to support your business, ideas, or art in any real meaningful way.
You inadvertently train the wrong audience to follow you. When it comes to social media algorithms, the algorithms reward repetition. That means the more you post a certain kind of content, the more you’ll attract people who want more of that certain kind of content. If you go viral for lowbrow material, your audience may expect more of the same. You will get to a point where that audience will resist your deeper or more serious content.
This disconnect can limit your creative freedom.
It’s much better to build an audience who truly values:
- Your craft
- Your insight
- Your originality
- Your message
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It’s a Turnoff to Brands and Sponsors
There are brands out there that are watching, and they are picky. A single post in bad taste can ruin a lucrative sponsorship deal. Most businesses don’t want to risk any possible backlash by associating with a content creator whose content is offensive. Some of the key things that brands look for in influencers are a strong personal brand, good engagement rate, a real audience, professionalism, and quality content.
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You May Get Shadowbanned or Demonetized
Social platforms have algorithms and guidelines that don’t favor reprehensible, offensive, or misleading content. Even if you don’t get outright banned, your reach and revenue can take a serious hit if the platform flags your posts as “inappropriate” or “low-quality.”
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It Tarnishes Industry Relationships
Whether you’re a painter, musician, writer, or digital content creator, your brand is in fact your business. When brands, clients, curators, or producers look at your digital trail, they are asking themselves: “Is this someone we want to do business with?”
If your history includes a lot of tacky, offensive, or immature content, you run the risk of losing opportunities. Major companies like Disney, Adidas, and Netflix among others have dropped talent due to past digital missteps.
Other creators, producers, and collaborators will be very hesitant to work with someone who has a poor reputation—a reputation for drama or tasteless content. In many industries, your network is your net worth. It’s best not to burn bridges before you’ve even crossed them. According to an article on Forbes, “In today’s digital-first landscape, social media plays a critical role in shaping audience engagement, brand perception and customer relationships. For communications and marketing professionals, mastering the dynamics of social media is essential to create meaningful interactions, build brand loyalty and drive business success.”
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It Retards Your Creative Growth
Creating lowbrow content doesn’t challenge your creative skills at all. Not only is it an easy way out, but it’s unoriginal, very copy-and-pasted, and really lacks depth. You’re unlikely to improve your skills as a writer, video editor, artist, or storyteller if you constantly try to cater to the lowest common denominator. One of the keys to creative growth is sustainable content and sustainable content marketing. In regards to sustainable content marketing, the author of the Lark article “Content Marketing And Sustainability” states that, “Sustainable content marketing refers to the strategic creation and sharing of content that remains relevant, valuable, and effective over a long period.” Keywords: relevant, valuable, effective (*over a long period).
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It Increases Your Risk of Being Canceled
There’s a saying—the internet never forgets. Jokes or rants that go viral today might come back to haunt you in a year or two, or a decade. Many creators have lost careers over posts they thought were “just jokes” at the time. The reality is, everything isn’t a joke to everyone. You can very well end up being cancelled. There is a cost when it comes to ‘cancel culture’—yes, even your business could possibly be cancelled.
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It Downplays Your Core Message
One might ask questions like, “what are trying to do” or “what message are you trying to get across.” Are you trying to invoke a message that will empower, educate, or uplift your audience? If you’re trying to do either one or all of the above, then lowbrow content will send mixed signals. Audiences want authenticity. If your posts are all over the place—one day educational, the next day offensive—people won’t know what to think or believe about you.
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It Wins the Moment, Not the Marathon
While it’s possible for trashy content to get you a few viral hits, the reality is it rarely builds any lasting influence. It doesn’t leave a lasting positive impression. Long-term success comes from trust, depth, and consistency. Long-term success does not come from trending hashtags and cheap laughs.
If you were running a sprint and not a marathon, then certainly you would be contributing to the oversaturation of low value content online. It is well-known that social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are saturated with generic, surface-level content. The creators who stand out are the ones offering:
- Niche expertise
- Original perspectives
- Creative craftsmanship
- Cultural or intellectual value
According to a 2023 report from The Tilt, audiences are increasingly drawn to content creators who deliver authenticity, purpose, and substance—not just dopamine rushes.
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It Reinforces Social Media Fatigue
Many social media users are burned out in general, however it is safe to say that they would be burned out from consuming shallow, performative content. They would be burned out from that type of content, especially when it is pervasive and seems to be unavoidable. If your feed is just a bunch of noise, people will eventually tune out and then they will tune you out altogether. People are facing physical health issues such as mental fatigue, stress and anxiety due to excessive social media usage. Why contribute to these issues by posting lowbrow content meant for a viral moment, cheap laughs, clout chasing or all of the above? When you focus on putting out content that has depth, you will stand out in a people’s crowded newsfeed.
The Bottom Line
Lowbrow content is a game that has a short shelf life. It’s a dangerous game to play when your reputation is on the line. If your goal is long-term impact, meaningful connections, and career growth, the best thing to do is focus on substance over spectacle. There’s nothing wrong with having a sense of humor, but there is a time and place for everything. If you want to be taken seriously, then your best bet is to put out content that can be taken seriously. Lowbrow content is a sprint, not a marathon. The creators who are taken seriously are the ones who elevate, not degrade the digital space.
What to Post Instead (If You Want to Be Taken Seriously)
If you’re an artist or content creator who’s serious about your legacy, here are the types of content that will strengthen your brand:
- Behind-the-scenes of your creative process
- Educational tips or insights into your craft
- Thoughtful commentary or critique
- Original visuals, music, or writing
- Cultural analysis or intellectual inspiration
- Authentic storytelling or personal journey
- Collaborations with respected peers
If you want people to take your brand seriously, it would be best to build your brand around meaning, not memes.
Sources
- Pew Research Center – “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024”
- Tidy with Spark – “Fallacy of virality: viral content is not the ultimate goal”
- Rella – “What Do Brands Look For in Influencers?”
- Forbes – “Understanding Social Media’s Impact On Audience Engagement: Strategies For Effective Digital Communication”
- Lark – “Content Marketing And Sustainability”
- BBC – “What is the cost of ‘cancel culture’?”
- The Tilt – Content Entrepreneur Benchmark Research 2023
- National Library of Medicine – “Too much social media? Unveiling the effects of determinants in social media fatigue”
Pro Tip for Content Creators: Want to stand out? Create quality content that educates, entertains, and elevates. There’s more power in purpose than in provocation. If you need help with content creation, get in contact with PATV Media Design & Illustration and let us create the quality content that your brand deserves.
Follow PATUNIVERSE for more creative growth strategies, brand-building insights, and tools for artists who want to elevate their work without selling their soul.
