“I’ve Got the Power”-Online Influencers Take Over the World

 “I’ve Got the Power”-Online Influencers Take Over the World

So long, days of sitting by the television and taking in commercials. Hello, days of being influenced by those who you follow on your cell phone! Influencers have taken over the world. Okay, that may be a little extreme, but some of it is true. The word influencer is a relatively new one (in the context of online media). Merriam-Webster defines an influencer as “a person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media” (Influencer). This term is incredibly loose, however. People can be influencers in really any category. The instant gratification that social media provides allows users to become influenced in real-time.

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How can one become an influencer? That’s a difficult question with varying answers. Companies understand that most of their marketing techniques need to be displayed on social media nowadays, as everyone is on their mobile devices. They can search and direct message users on social media applications that they feel would be a great fit for representing their brand or idea. The company will pay the newly-crowned influencer in money or free product in exchange for promotion to their followers. The influencer will then try to influence their following to purchase a product or believe an idea. It’s a waterfall effect. 

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Political figures could also be considered influencers-just of a different nature. They often flock to Twitter to share their ideas about current events or to promote their own ideas. As more and more people are utilizing social media for their intake of news, this is a great way for politicians to gain votes and support. Donald Trump and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez are two great (and varying!) examples of political influencers. 

What about this idea of “going viral”? It’s a relatively new phenomenon, and its catalyst is social media and algorithms. An algorithm can be defined as “a mathematical set of rules specifying how a group of data behaves. In social media, algorithms help maintain order, and assists in ranking search results and advertisements” (What Are Social Media Algorithms?). 

Social media apps think they know what you like based on what you follow on social media. They cater your viewership based on your tendencies while on the app. If a post or video has high engagement, the algorithm will assume that others will like it, too. Sometimes, those who create “viral content” don’t intend to. We’re leaving it up to the algorithm. We are influencing what is going to become popular and what won’t. I guess you could all say we are micro-influencers in our own right! Check out this video of a man who accidentally became a meme and his experience with it. 

An early demonstration of the algorithm and its effects on going viral would be the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Popular in 2014, the goal of the challenge was to raise money for ALS by dumping a bucket of ice-cold water on your head. Friends or colleagues would nominate someone to post a video of them participating in the challenge within 24 hours or donate money to support ALS research. Of course, this wacky yet fun challenge spread like wildfire, and donations came flooding in. Here’s a quick but effective video explaining the challenge.

Are influencers going away anytime soon? I don’t think so. If anything, they’ll only become more prevalent in our lives in the years to come. With this comes a responsibility to understand that we are being influenced, and we have the power to make decisions for ourselves, without the control of those that we follow. 

Sources

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influencer

https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-do-social-media-algorithms-work#:~:text=An%20algorithm%20is%20a%20mathematical,display%20in%20a%20certain%20order.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDw0cgbaWU 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4F0tLJczUs