What price are influencers willing to pay for "likes" and followers? Well, it seems many don't mind risking their lives or being put in a jail cell for it.
American-Russian social media influencer Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is among those who have gotten in trouble for doing something illegal and dangerous in a foreign country. The YouTuber was apparently jailed for five days after climbing to the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Landing in jail surely didn't stop the man from sharing his experience on Instagram. He shared a photo of what seems to be his sneaker-dressed feet hanging over the historic structure with the entire Giza pyramid complex exposed in the background.
In that very same post, the 27-year-old revealed just how bad his experience in an Egyptian jail was. He asserted that "no words can explain what I just went through the past five days." Though he has been imprisoned for similar acts in other countries, the YouTuber told his followers that his time in the Egyptian prison was "by far the worst" experience of them all.
"I saw horrible things and I don't wish this upon anybody," he added. Though it seems like his experience was pretty brutal, many online users didn't really sympathize with him following the news.
"You come to a foreign country specifically to break the law and disrespect their history then complain that you were put in jail," one user wrote.
"In what country would it be permissible to climb on a monument?? He wouldn't do this in any western country, white people will never cease to disappoint," another added.
Just two months ago, the Egyptian parliament amended its antiquities protection law to impose tougher jail sentences and fines on people caught smuggling artifacts out of the country. It also (for the first time) criminalized climbing atop the country's monuments.
Despite whatever it is he experienced in prison, it seems that the YouTuber has no regrets whatsoever, claiming he did all of this for a "good cause."
Wondering what the "good cause" may be? The 27-year-old star made it explicitly clear in a three-minute video posted on Instagram on Thursday.
From both the video and the caption, one can conclude that he did this to get as much attention as he could ... to tell people to donate money to help Australia following the devastating bushfires that have taken a toll on the country in recent months. Ironically, though, his Instagram bio lacks a link to guide people who wish to donate. In the video, he also emphasizes that "we should stop the war" and that he "loves Egypt" and meant no disrespect to the country when he decided to climb the pyramids ... but that he did it to raise awareness.
"I did this for a good cause and it put me 5 nights in Egyptian jail," Zdorovetskiy wrote in the caption of the video post.
"Let's unite and donate for Australia. I hope the world will hear me!" he added.
Though it may seem like a good-intentioned stunt, breaking the law and risking one's life for whatever cause is just not the way to do it.
Several online stars have earned the title "influencer" in recent years. Let's say they are, in fact, influential. What and who exactly are they trying to influence when committing such reckless and irresponsible actions?
With a great number of followers comes great responsibility. And it seems that people like Zdorovetskiy don't take this into account when they decide to break the law in foreign countries and risk their lives.
He's not alone in doing so, though. In 2018, Danish photographer Andreas Hvid got in trouble after filming himself climbing the Great Pyramid of Giza with a model. What caused more outrage was the fact that the duo took a nude photo at the top of the pyramid.
In 2016, another tourist - German Andrej Ciesielski - was banned from Egypt after he filmed himself scaling the monument as well. It remains unclear whether Zdorovetskiy would face a similar fate.