In the Oxford English Dictionary the term Influencer is defined as, “a person who has become well-known through use of the internet and social media, and uses celebrity to endorse, promote, or generate interest in specific products, brands, etc., often for payment.” But online influencers in today's world go far beyond this simple definition. Online influencers have positive and negative implications, they have an effect on society as a whole, they affect you, your friends, your family, and even your generations and all the generations to come. It is so extremely important to understand the term online influencers especially in current events.
Online influencers have an effect on a lot of things in today's world. They affect what is trending, beauty standards, inform purchasing decisions, diet and exercise behaviors, impulsive consumption, and shape sociocultural standards. Which is a combination of social and cultural factors. Influencers not only affect the behaviors of the majority of their followers, but they act as a powerful, $16.4 billion+ marketing channel, which is often more trusted than traditional advertising. They drive engagement, enhance brand authority, and, with a 1% increase in spending, can yield up to a 0.5% boost in engagement. These facts have, over time, increased the popularity of utilizing online influencers to advertise products. Through Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and more, influencers use their platforms to encourage quick consumption of products as well as lifestyles.
It is clear on social media that online influencers use their seemingly perfect lives to promote product consumption. Influencers promote constant exposure to curated, "perfect" lives which leads to social comparison, which can cause anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in users, particularly youth. The pressure to match these unrealistic standards contributes to body dissatisfaction and, in some cases, eating disorders. These unrealistic body images can be severely damaging to youth, and promote extremely dangerous and unhealthy habits that can damage their present and future lives, as well as damage their friends and family. Not only can these “perfect” lifestyles have damaging effects on people, but the spread of misinformation can too.
Influencers are constantly spreading something called misinformation. Misinformation, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is, “The action of misinforming someone; the condition of being misinformed.” or “Wrong or misleading information.” This is a repetitive occurrence in the age of social media. This misinformation spread often happens because followers often develop intense one-sided relationships, viewing influencers as trusted friends rather than advertisers. While this boosts loyalty, it can be manipulated for, or lead to, the spread of misinformation.
It's obvious that some of the effects of online influencers are good, such as encouraging eating whole foods, giving advice on hard topics, and demonstrating kindness. But some online influencers promote negative things such as misinformation, unhealthy eating habits, unattainable beauty standards, and market overconsumption. With influencers plugging tons of products, many people have learned to immediately buy products with little to no thought behind the purchases.The influx of online influencers has generational effects such as heightened, impulsive, consumerism, shifts in career aspirations, and mental health challenges related to body image, especially in the current and younger generations. Influencers are a huge part of today's generation, but it is important to be cautious online and to reduce the spread of these negative side effects that come with the presence of online influencers.
