Tvisha VarmaContributing Author, Rightantra The moment you have your phone in your hand, you keep going back to Instagram and admire (maybe even feel a little jealous) of some living “living the life”. If this describes you, read this article. Over the last decade, we've seen social media explode in popularity, with kids as young as 10 using apps such as Instagram and TikTok. As of January 2019, roughly 45 percent of the world's population actively used social media. Inevitably, we have people dominating these platforms, better known as influencers!
So who exactly is an influencer? Well, an influencer is someone who...influences. As nonsensical as this definition may sound, anyone who can influence their audiences’ purchase decisions or lifestyle thanks to their reputation is an influencer. They post about their “perfect” life online and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their lifestyle. Their flamboyant way of life has led them to be adored by brands because they can start trends and encourage people to join them. But that’s not it. A new generation of influencers are here to spread knowledge and awareness about subjects they are experts in. Reports suggest that Instagram has altered its algorithm to give preference to educational content. For the better or the worse, various “genres” of influencers co-exist, with all of them using social media platforms as a creative place to promote themselves and occasionally, brands. Are influencers really here to inspire? Or do they have a damaging impact on our lives? Let’s face it, a very few teenagers are there on social media to “learn” from influencers. Social media is an escape from the pressures of growing up in the twenty-first century, especially when you can see others living that picture-perfect life. As teenagers, an influencer’s environment can appear to be paradise, sending our self-esteem plummeting and our parents’ expenses rocketing. Influencer culture can sometimes lead us to derive a false sense of reality, their high end clothing, aesthetically decorated homes and curvaceous physique often leads the young generation (primarily girls) to feel overwhelmingly insecure about themselves. This in turn has a significant impact on their self-esteem and can cause anxiety. Moreover, they play a crucial part in compelling our generation to be exceedingly image obsessed and materialistic, people often go to extreme lengths just for the perfect click and this isn't just a problem for teenagers anymore; we've all felt the pressure of social media's ever increasing power and according to a recent survey, more than half of 18 to 34 year olds believe that social media has a negative impact on how they see their bodies. What people often overlook is that there is a worlds’ difference between real life and reel life. It's a well known fact that sometimes, social media stars buy followers, after all they want to make money. They are also paid to influence, it is their job to make things look good. Their vacations and luxury products are often paid for, and young adults should certainly not feel pressured to live up to that standard. In addition to that, softwares such as photoshop are readily available tools that make your icons look unrealistically glowy after giving birth. I'm not saying you should stop looking up to someone because role models are imperative, however, I advise you to be more aware, challenge the information you come across, make your own conclusions about someone or something; follow influencers who don’t base their life around superficiality and instead have a positive impact on your wellbeing. An example is Kylie Jenner At the age of just 21, Kylie Jenner was named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. With over 250 million followers across her social media platforms and a billion-dollar empire, it’s reasonable to say that she is one of the most influential people in not only the cosmetic industry, but the planet. Since starring in her family reality show, Kylie has been a desirable influencer for many brands. Since the age of 14, she has been collaborating with well-known and even created her own line of clothing with her sister, Kendall Jenner. In 2015, Kylie really rose to fame within the beauty industry as she launched her own cosmetics line, the infamous Kylie Lip Kits. As much as they provide young girls with confidence, it also sets unrealistic beauty standards which can then grow into insecurities in young women. Furthermore, her figure is also something that has been widely discussed. It makes some people embrace theirs and leave others loathing their body. On the other hand, influencers have begun to create educational and informative content disguised as entertainment. This has a huge positive impact on topics like body positivity, conveying messages about speaking out against toxic masculinity, the #MeToo movement, which has drastically impacted how people think about and treat sexual assault, and ecologically conscious movements like veganism. Not only can they motivate people to work out more and eat healthier, they can inspire them to follow their dreams and passions! Seeing the impression influencers can have, national legislative bodies as well as the advertising industry has begun drafting rules and regulations to minimise the negative impact they cause. For instance, the Advertising Standards Council of India has released Guidelines for Influencer Marketing in Digital Media. This will help the audience differentiate between advertisements and reality. As long as we can draw this line and ask the right questions at the right time (to the right people), we will be safer away from the negatives of this culture. If you do have any questions, we promise we are the right people to be asked to answer you.
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