Two years ago, we warned brands that Gen Z was getting tired of seeing the same mega-influencers everywhere. But in the years since, brands have continued to put mega-influencers in the spotlight. We’ve lost track of the number of brand deals that Alix Earle has, MrBeast has a TV show on Amazon and a book with James Patterson, and Kai Cenat just launched a clothing collection at New York Fashion Week. At the same time, though, the backlash against influencers has gotten harder to ignore. OpenAI’s luxury influencer trip sparked plenty of criticism online, while Alo’s over-the-top influencer excursion for...