Social media has earned itself a negative reputation in recent years, whether it be because of creating insecurities or encouraging its users to exaggerate their lives, its impact can be immense. This only continues to ring true as the recent trend of disrespectful influencers continues to rise, with many wielding their cameras more as weapons than tools for creation.
The experience of a disrespectful influencer recently struck the valley in a viral situation on October 7, 2025, at a local bakery known as the JL Patisserie, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Influencer and food reviewer Aurora Griffo, known as “Glamorama” on TikTok, had requested to collaborate with the bakery; a positive review in return for free food. Though the bakery had denied this request, Griffo still appeared the next day to taste the food and post a review.
The review that followed was a scathing one, with Griffo insulting each item she had tried while accusing the ingredients of being fake. In response, JL Patisserie released a video to show the authenticity of their recipes, which was met with not only high praise but a wave of support.
Local news stations in Arizona, such as AZCentral, AZFamily, and Phoenix News Times, as well as nationwide news outlets such as People, rushed to cover the story. They provided the owner with a place not only to further share her defense of her livelihood, but also to advertise her story to the community.
In the following days, the community came out in droves, purchasing baked goods and displaying support for the bakery while boosting it to new heights. One of these supporters was the famous food reviewer Keith Lee, who left a hefty tip while providing a glowing review on all aspects of the bakery, from the food to the service.
When one thinks of social media, it is so commonly associated with dividing people, for that is what its algorithm tends to feed off of. Suffering, embarrassment, insecurity, anger, and other negative emotions populate people’s feeds regularly. For those who scroll through social media for an immense amount of time, they may be caught in a “doom scroll” or a downward spiral where each new short clip feeds into the same negativity, so as to increase engagement.
Though there is no doubt that the internet, especially social media, can bring about mass division, there are moments when it can instead be used for creation and support, as seen within Arizona’s own valley. Social media is what one makes of it, and when a community lays the proper foundation both on-and-off the screen, an uplifting environment can be built, just as was demonstrated with JL Patisserie.
