Nantucket Shop’s ‘No Influencers’ Sign Set The Internet On Fire

Social media has been buzzing lately over one unexpected topic...

A Nantucket shop's "NO INFLUENCERS" sign has gone viral, igniting a spirited debate about influencer culture and small businesses.

Four Winds Craft Guild via Facebook

The sign, displayed at Four Winds Craft Guild, quickly went viral after influencer and Dairy Boy founder Paige Paul criticized it, arguing that content creators help support small businesses and have built a legitimate industry.

Paige said on her social media, “If you call yourself a feminist but proudly put up a 'No Influencers' sign, it’s worth asking who you are attempting to delegitimize, and why." She continued, "Mocking women when they become powerful in a new industry isn’t new."

Paige recently opened a boutique just blocks away from Four Winds Craft Guild, where she found the "NO INFLUENCERS" sign. "It’s just a strange message coming from a store that celebrates a craft with such a rich history of women shaping the island and its economy."

She has since taken the post down.

Others defended the shop, saying they understood the message as a lighthearted way to discourage customers from treating local businesses like movie sets instead of shopping in them.

It's an interesting question: Are "NO INFLUENCER" signs becoming the newest trend, or are they simply a reaction to a growing social media culture?

There's no denying influencers have helped put countless restaurants, shops, and hidden gems on the map. At the same time, many small business owners say constant filming, tripods, and staged content can disrupt employees and other customers.

Since the sign went viral, social media has been buzzing with hot takes from all sides.

Personally, I can see both sides. Social media has introduced me to some of my favorite New Hampshire businesses, but I also understand wanting to enjoy a cup of coffee or browse a local shop without accidentally ending up in someone else's video.

What do you think? Would a "NO INFLUENCERS" sign make you more likely to visit a business... or less?

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Could the Granite State be next?