For the rest of the semester, I will be focusing my project and essays on social media and the effects of the "influencers". With social media being used by one-third of the world, it has clearly had an influence on society, especially the younger generations. In today's society, there is not one person who does not own an electronic device that has access to the internet. As a result, people as young as two years old are constantly exposed to sites like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Kids see the lifestyles these influencers portray and grow up dreaming of dropping out of school to start their own platforms to gain a large number of followers. People are hovering over numbers, whether it be about the number of follows, likes, or cash that comes in. But when does it become an unhealthy obsession? How much is too much when it comes to social media influencers? When do we decide that enough is enough?
My call to action is to monitor the brand deals and companies that sign up to collaborate with social media influencers. A lot of what is posted by influencers is supported by brand deals and larger companies. The bigger the company, the more money you make, so the more promotions and followers you receive. As a result, these influencers become famous despite having nothing beneficial to offer to the rest of society. They promote a lifestyle that is detrimental to society.
A lot of the times, the viewers are living the "normal", "average" lifestyle where one goes to school, gets a degree, and works a 9-5 job five days a week. However, when they follow the content influencers post, they see things they thought were unattainable at such a young age. They see people traveling the world and purchasing anything they want: clothes, houses, cars. They got this all without doing it the "traditional way", the way most people do it. People view this lavish lifestyle and desire it for themselves. They feel sorry for themselves and either hate the life they currently live or try and change it by quitting everything and jumping on the bandwagon to join the rest of the influencers. However, a lot of the times, what's posted on social media is the better and happier side of things. How much of it has been scripted? How far will people go to attain large amounts of money? What really goes on behind the scenes of influencers and the companies they collaborate with?
***Be aware of what your child is watching.***
Huh, so this is a "truth in advertising" argument as much as an opposition to Influencers? This'll be an intersection of regulation, free speech, and entertainers, which can be tricky. The other aspect is that publishing and promoting these numbers could backfire, making the position seem more desirable for its paycheck rather than shaming them for their associations.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to denounce Influencers, though, you'd have to find an angle other than just telling us all about the Fyre Festival, as fun as that might be.