They are dismissed as shallow, preening narcissists because they ARE shallow, preening narcissists. And what does that say about the people they are influencing? Do we really need another generation of Hiltons and Kardashians? I’ll take my chances and ignore them and hope that their 15 minutes is almost up.
289
Occasionally, it is really good to be one of the olds. Y'all just don't do something stupid that Cambridge analyticals my life.
48
No, Kevin, they’re not taking over the world. Not all, in fact. All one need do is put the phone down for several hours - to refrain from compulsively staring at the idiocy that presents itself onscreen - and one is immediately reminded that existence, and all that it promises, is in no way fundamentally related to the total inanity offered by your “influencers.”
Nature is an influencer. A very few people flirt with the title. Your social media Demi-gods pale in comparison, if that.
100
As someone in PR, I’ve had to pitch dogs with substantial Instagram followers; it used to be journalists.
24
I must get back on FB to keep up. Look! I ate a peach! Buy peaches America and, and the world!
15
When every moment in life is to be commoditized, the self and all of its experiences becomes the work-product; so the 1000 videos of the self is like the vision of an insect's compound eye reflecting back only the self to the self. Narcissists with a thousand mirrors
55
Why do articles like this continue to use number of subscribers as a yardstick? People subscribe willy-nilly to channels and social-media accounts (so do I) without ever looking at them. Number of views is what counts.
24
Better get mental health care going. As these kids try to outdo each other for best influencer, many will fall short. Not everyone gets an A in life. These terminologies like influencers make me want to regurgitate as everything is being regurgitated. Easily available technology has zapped their ability to think.
31
There is one born every minute. A Sucker, that is.
32
"... influencers are the future. Dismiss them at your peril."
Done.
164
I'm in my 60s and am a big YouTube fan. I've learned a lot from some of the influencers about products that I never really knew existed for hair, makeup, etc. Since I don't go to a beautician and was stuck in an 80s rut for a long time, I wouldn't have known how to use them anyway. I don't have kids/grands and would have never found out this info on my own.
On occasion when I need help in doing something I look to see if there is an instructional video available. Frequently, there is.
Does it run my life? Nope, but I do find it entertaining and useful.
29
I reserve the right to scoff at any and all of these con artists.
51
— and who are often dismissed as shallow, preening narcissists by adults who don’t know any better —
Why can't we dismiss them as such - we already have a president that leads the pack.
49
I scoff at influences precisely because they aren't (to me). My conversations are not about my most recent purchase or where took that pretty picture or what aibhad for breakfast or what are the top 20 reasons to date people younger than you.
25
So NOT delighted our high schools and other schools allow so much free time, that our children can watch Twitch, etc. during class. One solution is to provide a more rigorous educational system and enforce better behaviors in school so kids have to pay attention and actually get something out of the education system.
If kids aren't heavily involved in school activities, perhaps they should get a job so they have less free time to view "influencers."
34
Until the choppas come out. then they will be the first against the wall lol.
The first wave of subverters always ends violently.
1
"People want to be told what to do so badly that they'll listen to anyone."
--Don Draper, Season 1, Episode 6
92
The young "influencers" remind me of junior high kids............they are all different.............just like everyone else.............and desperately striving for significance.
Their discipline and technique of communicating a message is good....................now, if they can tweak the message to one that is sustainable and creates a better world they'd have my attention.
11
If the NYT and other publications would do more of their own digging research instead of so much reporting and devotion of ink to this pop-culture/soical-media from 'influencers,' some of the effects of this might diminish. Why not give it a try......
I am one who believes that your Arts coverage has been really weakened and diluted in recent years.
54
@RichardM Agreed. This article reads like, 'The Times sent me to this convention, so I have to write an article on it."
33
I'm sorry, I am going to scoff at most of them.
Now, not all of them. Some people provide value. But the term 'influencer' doesn't even mean anything at that level. You may be a 'critic', or some sort of information presenter, or really even practicing journalism.
But I don't care how many youtube hits you get for an 'unboxing'. 99% of those videos are hyper garbage, and are only popular because people like a personality. I've seen, yes, 1 or two 'unboxers' who provide value. That's about it.
Beyond 'unboxing' videos, however, just because people can't pull their eyes away from somethign that is basically a comercial doesn't mean I shouldn't scoff at it. If it's nonsense, even if it is popular, it's still nonsense. And I personally don't have a lot of tolerance for people wasting time rather than doing something more productive, not unless they are stupdidly successful doing it. Probably wanna be influencers are the worst of the lot, thinking they're doing something useful when they have sub 40,000 subscribers. That's a hobby not a career.
16
"Influencers don´t move mountains, bulldozers do."
Classic Peter Drucker modified to fit the topic
15
For heavens sake, it's just media, and media has been with us from the dawn of civilization. I can just see the latest papyrus-based news substituting for verbal folklore and stone tablets and everybody running around screaming about how this paper stuff is going to change everything. Everything, I tell you, everything!
People need messiahs and gurus, and there's always been a constant cadre of snake-oil salesmen to grift their way to billions. This is as old as time. Frankly, I'm glad to hear that the generations after mine are doing something differently than my generation did. I once had a millennial ask me if I had ever heard of this rock band called The Who or if I ever watched this TV show called Seinfeld. My response: get your own life and culture, please.
I'm just happy to hear you say that, yes, many will become bor-ing things like doctors, lawyers, engineers---we will still need them because, I hate to tell you this, social media is not going to save people's lives, try cases in federal courts, or figure out what we're going to do about climate change. You think 'influencers' are somehow important. They're not any more important than any other loudmouths from eons past.
24
When I read articles like this, I fear that the world has become a futuristic, Terry Gilliam-meets-Black Mirror nightmare universe.
Then, I remember that there are plenty of people who like quality film, art, TV, theater, books, love nature, are nice, and don't want to be told what to like, do, etc.
36
If A0C didn’t look like A0C, she would get much less attention. Sad. And true.
14
@Walker I hesitate to draw more attention to your comment but... welcome to being a woman. Her Instagram content is solid. For the record, I also follow other politicians who don’t post regularly and whose content isn’t as inclusive. Inclusive meaning a video style that makes me feel like I’m experiencing a lot of politics first hand and an opportunity to learn if I choose to invest a bit of time. I wish the others content was more solid and boldly suggest that they hire someone to help them out because it is a skill.
6
@Walker She's an attractive young woman who dresses well and knows how to apply makeup. There's nothing wrong with her using these attributes to attract attention to her message. Such methodology has been with us since ancient times.
13
“Be the lead lemming” is the advice here being advocated.
29
Apparently people have a need for other people to tell them what to do, what to think and what to like or not to like. It may be Jesus or the pope or influencers. It's pathetic.
15
Please. Nobody cares.
27
An upstate New York teenage Instagram star, an "influencer" I suppose, just died at the hands at the hands of a deranged "follower" whom she mistook for a sincere fan. A helluva way for each of them to get their fifteen minutes of fame.
15
"Just look at Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has become a powerful force in Congress by pairing her policy agenda with an intuitive understanding of what works online."
I have great respect for AOC, but just how powerful she is remains to be seen. Right now she is visible and loud, but that does not automatically equate to the power to get things done. let's give it a bit more time before her official coronation.
26
I'm surprised that folks are so vehemently against what I feel was a very topical -- and correct -- piece. I may be a bit younger than the average NYT subscriber (23), so perhaps my perspective is a bit different.
YouTube (and other social media networks of it's peer group) are becoming the foundation of my generation's lives. Obviously, it's where we watch videos for entertainment. But it's also becoming a large part of our lives outside of that. Most folks of my age are "cutting the cord" on cable, which means much of our news comes from YouTube. Almost every class I had in college showed one YouTube video to hammer a point (like a news clip, an explainer video, an opposing side's opinion). High schools are now showing crash course educational videos. YouTube videos taught me how to cook. My brother-in-law built a car using YouTube. Sales for books, video games, and clothing can turn on a dime according to their reception in Book-Tube or Gaming-Tube or Fashion-Tube. Political rallies are arranged via video.
Influencers seem shallow, but a host of "influencers" I watch are my Anderson Cooper to my Ellen to my Paula Dean. Perhaps I'm too steeped in this culture to be able to see outside of it... but it sure feels like they're the future and the future's right around the corner.
21
@Kate Most of the comments here are from cranky geezers who can't remember their teens and 20s. Like me, they are on the down slope of life (let's just say that starts at 50 or so, ain't no one living much past 100). And cranky because the world is changing, not recalling being on the other end of the debate decades ago.
Other things declared shallow and engendering comments along the lines of "I weep for the future" include "modern" classical (now about 100 years old), Jazz, Rock and Roll, Rock, Rap, Hip Hop, and that's just the music off the top of my head.
We are the past and something of the present.
You are the future.
But don't forget this in 30 years!!
9
@Kate
Youtube is just another form of cable but with more instructive and interesting choices. In the 90s I could watch a documentary or I could watch Jerrry Springer. It's similar today in that what people choose to watch shapes their views, their lifestyle, and education. Now, you can build a car or fix a sink or any number of constructive things through YouTube. Or you can gorge yourself on flat-earth conspiracy theories.
The main (and very cool) difference is that the content is now in the hands of the viewers and also more interactive. But, as always, people still pick their poison. Sure the "future" might be around the corner. But people are still predictably analog.
12
Kudos Kate
From a 71 yr old retired history teacher now bicycle tour guide
Your succinct and concise writing is to be valued and applauded
Thanks for enlightening everyone especially the AARP’ers
Kudos once again
9
In contrast to others, I find this article spot-on. People earn a lot of money (millions annually) with successful social media platforms. They not only have direct access to followers but a direct fostered “connection”. Talk about successful marketing! It takes work and you build skills: video editing, marketing, promotion, project management, to name a few... don’t let the platforms, or your unfamiliarity with them, fool you. We’re in a new economy. People are buying experiences, so it’s about visually sharing. A success builds followers which leads to affiliates, sponsorship, collaboration (all income generators) but most of all the influence of sway. And it’s WAY more than clothing. I’ve actually bought building materials based on some Instagram pages I follow. On the other hand, since she was mentioned in the article, AOC has a fantastic and informative (non income generating) Instagram page. I actually got to watch a live video of how offices were assigned to our senate members. It was beyond cool to watch members nervously waiting and get excited about winning a room, see what the interior of empty offices look like, and learn about the process. Who knew? Totally worth my time.
12
Way back in the 1970s there was much talk about transitioning to a "service economy." I couldn't understand how a country could prosper from everyone getting paid to cook everyone else's hamburgers (for example). I still can't. So now we're gonna prosper from having everyone getting paid to tell everyone else what's cool? The one thing I am finally understanding is why my parents' generation despaired the way they did.
18
If Dave Rubin, Carl Benjamin and Jordan Peterson are considered influencers because of their "extreme political commentary" - then there's hope yet for the world.
5
An opinion piece inspired by a weekend in an echo chamber. Stating that influencers will "dominate [...] society as a whole," is a bold claim based on largely anecdotal evidence. Take the case of the girl who had over 2 million followers, but was unable to sell a mere 36 t-shirts of her own branding. This case is not an uncommon story in a world driven by narcissism, superficiality, bots and Buzzfeed-esque articles that give any credence to this shocking decay of rationaly, analytical, and individual thinking. This will be our downfall.
42
AOC is NOT a powerful force in Congress. Pelosi just made that clear. The "influencers" need to understand the distinction between cultural influence and political power.
21
@donald.richards
Exactly. She is one of those narcissists.
7
For better or worse, influencers have always been around - just in a different format. Jusus, Elvis, and unfortunately our current president. Marshall McLuhan's phrase The Medium is the Message still rings true.
7
Yes, yes, yes.....influencers....all well and good. But they create nothing.
Of course, these young people have just taken what their baby boomer parents and grandparents have done (create nothing and find a way to game the system and make money at it anyway) to a whole new level.
These young people dispense with any pretense of making anything, generating anything, or creating anything. It's all about image, all about themselves, all the time. Just like the baby boomers.
Imagine if Thomas Edison was an influencer. He would have driven the marketing of his own image and dispensed entirely with inventing the light bulb, or anything else.
Want to really influence people, society, and the world? Do something original, something tangible, something real.
20
@Van Owen You're putting down TWO generations of people and using as your paragon of hard work, Thomas Edison?
This entire thing reads like caricature of "what a person born in 1880 would type on the internet."
You should do a little more reading on Edison. Overrated as an inventor. Underrated as a self-promoter and manipulator of his public image. He's actually an excellent example for the generation this article is about.
6
I suppose you call stopping the war in Vietnam, gay liberation, the women’s movement and the birth of countless, effective social change organizations trivial?
We Baby Boomers changed the world and we’re still in there, fighting to save the planet, while today’s idle youth march not on Washington but down the street gazing at a dopamine-fed illusion.
10
And all of it is completely lacking in substance and real value. Just hacks chasing dollars. Nothing new here.
24
Okay, I won't scoff at influencers, just the people who can't make a decision without them.
36
You mean they are taking over a virtual world? In a real world sense meaning of an influencer, they have not sweated and broken their backs to become experienced and weathered human beings to call themselves "influencers", so no! they have no 'influence' on me.
9
I actually enjoy reading articles such as this. People so devoid of imagination and though they must seek guidance from vacuous inhabitants of a drear made-up existence. It allows me to hope for the future of the actual humans amongst us
11
@Neal, I hear you. But I do despair when I realize that "people so devoid of imagination and though[t] must seek guidance from vacuous inhabitants of a drear[y] made-up existence" can and often do VOTE, too. The Horror.
5
When I read in the headline “They’re Taking Over the World,” I was concerned. Taking over, let’s say, Fairfax County? Or maybe France? And making people move out and occupying their land? No, and what a relief. It’s only marketing. Or maybe marketing is the world. Or maybe the headline is exponentially overhyped.
20
Reality tv continues.
It may lead us to some place ever more terrible, but the lemmings demand it.
15
Why not - let the youngs find their own way. It’s just another form of ads & consumerism. Too many comments sound like the old dinosaurs whining about the Elvis, hippies, brit mopheads that will be the fall of civilization, etc.
7
"Not all influencers are brilliant polymaths, of course."
There should be some sort of a prize for that level of understatement. Yes, I choose to scoff.
20
The cool kids in high school and young adult hood used to strut their street cred by saying they listened to bands you never heard of.
Same old story, new delivery mechanism.
26
What’s the best way for me to make money off this?
5
Mr. Roose says that influencers are "often dismissed as shallow, preening narcissists..."
Nothing in his column disabused me of that notion, though. I'm reminded of the media stunt Payless Shoes pulled last year, when they duped influencers into paying hundreds of dollars for their plastic shoes, or the Fyre Festival, which was heavily promoted through the use of influencers.
So many influencers are vapid talking heads who don't know what they're talking about.
39
It's good were creating new segments of the population to loathe and revile.
4
"Scoffing" seems so twentieth-century anyways
Nobody thinks or analyzes anymore. It’s becoming a world of sheeple snacking on clickbait.
21
Depends on what world you choose to live in. I’ve made a conscious decision to reject the world of influencers and what they represent , sell, care about and inspire. It can be done. Free will does still exist.
18
@Lola, BRAVO!
5
Influencers don't need a broad appeal to earn money, a niche market is all they need.
In my hobby, a certain kind of sewing, there is a small subset of influencers who make many women fan girl. Their skill or knowledge level isn't much above anyone else, which annoys some to no end, but they've been able to use attention to get book deals and in one case, an online subscription based magazine. They earn a living off it.
Yet outside of this community, you'd have never heard of them.
9
Great piece. It also means that online reputation management matters even more, and will continue to do so--in both good and bad ways.
If something negative appears online, their days of influencing are over in one tweet or post.
1
So very true. TikTokers have mastered that platform so precisely even a head nod or a rolled back eye can generate thousands of views. Check out some of the live feeds of simply someone standing backstage passing his hand through his hair. Yesterday I witnessed 1 with 12000 live viewers. These folks work very hard to produce content day in and day out and if you take a step back their stories are compelling. why? because they have upended what we consider the norm...from landscape to portrait (yes they even changed our favorite video viewing mode) to positive content... Whereas most of our other platforms thrive on negative content, negative media, negative news. these folks may be young (and some like me not so young) but they are the way. Even more compelling are the analytics and artificial intelligence behind these platforms that track your swipes your viewing length your interests and build your bubble accordingly. This isn't something that happens after a week with some analysts figuring out what you like, this happens instantaneously. What's even more compelling and I find super attractive, is it you're not making these videos for your friends, you're making them for people you don't know who have interests that are similar to yours or to your content. TikTok has expanded the reach footprint beyond anything we've ever thought of before. I say congratulations to these young folk, and I for 1 am here to help them make a new and better world.
6
Okay. New and better world doing what, exactly? Making bagel pizzas or trying different hairstyles? Really.
And if you did use it to manipulate others into, say, saving the planet from climate change, do you not feel guilty that you gamed them into it instead having of rational and in-person discussions and exchange of ideas?
3
I'm old now, but when I was young someone wise told me that I'll learn in time that 90% of the world let other people do their thinking for them.
Especially when it comes to deep or complex issues that require some research, study, pondering and thought to understand.
And solutions require the same effort of course.
Nothing's changed.
Whether it's so called shallow, preening influencers on the internet or youtube today, or the version that traditionally came on the printed page, or over radio or network tv, primarily lazy people looking for easy answers will listen and often agree with what they hear.
Generally because they are agreeing with what they already believe in their particular subculture, or what "feels" right, whether realistic, rational or not.
Some may be entertaining and clever, but generally from what I've seen most are feeding their egos, not knowledgeable about any serious topic, nor have any wisdom or nuanced solutions to real problems.
Sounds like many of the "influencers" since the dawn of time. Nothing changes, except technology.
Few truly learn and think for themselves. And human character on average doesn't seem to change much. Sad.
Nothing meaningful happens without deep knowledge, self discipline and hard work. The "influencers" are almost never about that. The future doesn't look good it seems.
32
@dre, nice comment. And I like you dad’s statement.
3
You can't influence poor people to buy Gucci. Young people have always been interested in what other young people are doing. But as soon as they become real adults, with jobs and familes, their priorities shift. This is nothing to worry about.
7
Neil Postman should posthumously receive some newly conceived award for writing the most prophetic text of the last 50 years, "Amusing Ourselves to Death". Social media "influencers", useless or not, are just part of the problem of ever shrinking attention spans and acceptance of mediocre art that results from our addiction to smartphones (the most ironic product descriptor ever). I live and work in NYC and I can't get from my home to the office without seeing >90% of females (50% of males) under 35 year of age looking down at their "smart" phones while crossing the street, not paying attention to anything in reality.
I would take Trump as our president until 2025 if it meant that social media and influencers (i.e., Kardashians to Pewtie Pie) would disappear in a puff of smoke. Both have set our ability to have a healthy public discourse into the stone age, particularly Gen Zers who have seizures without a phone in their hand.
10
@Phillip J.
You don't really mean that, do you? If Trump remains , we may not get to 2025, we make actually disappear in that puff of smoke along with the Kardashians. Which would you prefer? Life without Trump or life with the Kardashians.
What about influencers who are not young? There's another story. Individuals and their personal interests or agendas have always had influence (as the piece mentions: “movie stars” or “talk-radio hosts” or “Davos attendees”). The change (if you are older than 30 and can remember pre-Internet) is the incredible reach of the Internet. And that transcends age. So it's not all about "youth culture" - let's not be ageist about this, too. And who says the influence has to be purely commercial? Any platform or view point can gain traction, including those that are not selling driven by selling products, but by a way of thinking and living.
4
it's a gift. i may not group it in the same class as glenn gould's ability to play bach, but it's a talent nonetheless. now if only these internet pulse readers will promise to use their abilities for good, and not for evil (sloth, bullying, vulgarity, discrimination, etc.)!
2
The commenters who are caught up in dismissing social media, influencers, youth culture, etc... seem to be missing the point hidden within the subhead: "As social media expands its cultural dominance, the people who can steer the online conversation will have an upper hand."
It's easy to dismiss social media and it's influencers as being trivial -- the problem is we are oblivious to the ways it is already influencing critical aspects of our lives and will continue to do so.
We've already seen this in the election of Donald Trump. We've already seen this in the influence that social media has in political and economic propaganda. It's time to realize that this is the future of our society.
8
@Leaving
The possibility that it could be "the future of our society" is the problem. More empty rhetoric solely designed to reward self-obsessed individuals with power and influence is exactly what this world doesn't need.
7
@Brad Blumenstock I think the problem is if we assume that social media is solely for empty rhetoric, etc... then we are abandoning our future to "self-obsessed individuals with power and influence."
Social media, like any medium, is what we make of it. It can used it for good, but if we choose to.
1
Recipients of the influence know they are the subjects of influencers who don't have their interests at heart.
How can this possibly work when people know they are being taken for a ride? I guess this is the same question as "How did people willingly attend Trump University"?
Zero influence on me. I'm behind the curtain, waving my arms wildly and those being duped to ignore those of us behind the curtain.
4
I feel like we are moving toward the likes episode in the show Black Mirror.
11
Well, they may be taking over but I will remain a scoffer. They richly deserve it.
10
Something to think about. . . . Its Not Real. The entire social media platform is a made up world, that has little connection to what is really happening. If it all disappeared tonight the world would be OK, in fact it might be better. Think about it, no more Trump Twitter Tantrums.
Put you phone down, walk away, you will be OK.
29
Isn't this just another form of contract work that is cheaper for corporate America? They used to have to hire marketing firms that employed people with degrees and buy airspace on a medium that had to follow federal regulations and pay for the content that entertains us. Now they just hand out free merchandise to unemployed 17-year-olds and get their marketing done that way. It's like a bunch of Uber drivers with no health care.
63
I don't do social media, unless you count an occasional comment on a NYT/WaPo article. The masses may love it but I think it's all just an utterly shallow waste of time
13
@David Bruce Not really. Social media is valuable when you want to move product or want to get feedback directly from your audience/customers. Depends on whether you're using social media for legitimate business ends to grow a business or just messing around for fun (where arguably it's a waste of time)
1
Nice try, but as for me, I'll talk with people, exercise without some sort of electronic cyborg on my wrist, write, play my violin - making dozens of mistakes - play with my grandchildren, and drink wine with my friends. Once you get to my age (70) and you realize you spent your life staring at a screen and counting thumbs-up for your posts, and that was it, then you can tell me how fulfilling your life was/is. Until then, let me let you in on a little secret - you have no idea what you're missing.
59
"...the teenagers and 20-somethings who have mastered these platforms — and who are often dismissed as shallow, preening narcissists by adults who don’t know any better...."
It's not the relatively tiny number of influencers. It's the apparently vast numbers of those who watch the influencers. Is there nothing better to do in this world? Make-up, dance contests, fashion advice, hate speech.... That's the part this adult does not understand.
106
"Influencing" is the biggest scam currently going on in marketing, because it IS marketing. The younger generations claim that commercials are abhorrent, but all influencing is is personal product endorsement with a veneer of disruption. Sort of like someone saying they've "cut the cord" (cancelled their cable TV subscription and returned their box) but use a friend or family member's logins to access the content they're bragging about divorcing, which ironically is another habit of the younger generations (Millennials, Z).
26
Where most Americans feel like they are slipping behind in the workplace, these "influencers" are as satisfied as can be "complimenting one another on their 'drip,' influencer-speak for clothes and accessories."
What they're really doing is merely capitalizing on the disparity between the "haves" and the "have nots," and see little need for the revival of the concept of "citizenship" in which Americans take more responsibility both for their own actions and for their communities and the nation.
One can only hope that as they mature and move closer to the center of their lives, these "influencers" will harness these youthful exploits and use of technology to bring society closer to the issues and the people that matter.
7
Some ten years ago, the sociologist Duncan Watts debunked the "influencer theory of marketing," which had been promulgated by Malcolm Gladwell in _The Tipping Point_.
It would be interesting learn more about scientific studies of the current phenomenon to see what, if anything has changed.
I suspect much of Watts' argument still holds true, and yet there is something undeniably powerful about the unmediated connection this article discusses, and this isn't something new, particularly in politics. Father Coughlin used radio to great effect until the FDR administration pushed him off the air. Joseph Goebbels made the production of inexpensive radios a key element of the distribution of propaganda. One wonders where Donald Trump would be without Twitter.
6
The influencers seem to be mainly selling stuff, lots of stuff. The world is polluted and suffering because of our addiction to stuff. I wish there were more influencers telling us we don't need more clothes, makeup, and decorative accessories.
66
@Linda It's only a matter of time. As soon as someone can figure out how to monetize telling people not to buy more stuff, they will.
My favorite contenders are the "zero waste" influencers who try to tell people to throw out all of their plastic in favor of purchasing new, more expensive, "environmentally friendly" products.
8
Taking "selfies" of yourself with product, offers no value to the consumer. If people want to buy something to feel cool or accepted that's their problem. But take cars. No influencer creates any value to the buyer who is going into debt to buy a car. It is a decision based on . . . well . . . the nothingness of it all.
10
@Kate McLeod
Did old school advertising create value to the consumer? Was there more value in picking up a copy of Seventeen magazine and buying mascara based off of an ad with a model selected by an ad agency? Why not buy make up based on someone you like, maybe someone you related to, who also looks more like you?
Ford, GM is going to sell me a car- whether they have a traditional ad in GQ magazine with a hollywood star or a You Tube influencer who talks about cars, how is one version of marketing any better than the others.
I do think people have become addicts to social media, but I don't really hold any grudges on the kids profitting off of their marketing exploits.
5
Great, a bunch of twits screaming for attention. Why don’t they actually invent something instead of themselves? These people are no different the pathetic losers than bombard resort owners with requests for free stays in exchange for positive reviews with their purported millions of followers. Getting people to buy perfume and sneakers may be a way to earn a buck, but don’t call it power.
24
@Michael Blazin
"Dismiss them at your peril."
The comments section is just a treasure trove of cranky people who don't remember their own teens and twenties! This weeping for the future has me in stitches. I'm 57. Howls of derisive laughter toward my contemporaries in the comments section.
Your parents and grandparents said exactly the same thing about you! And you can read ancient Greeks saying the same thing about their kids. For a bunch of old people, you really don't have much of a sense of the past. Maybe you can't see it due to the glare from your entrenched notions.
This is the future. You have no hope of understanding it. Nor do I. All we can do is watch. Me contentedly. You?
8
So I surmise from your remarks you are a "follower", another notion independent of age and era....
6
This old codger remembers when folks were reviled for "selling out," which the absolute lowest thing a person could do. Now young people actively compete to promote, push or shill for any company that will have them.
As another old codger once sang, "For the times they are a-changin."
22
@C. Holmes
he's still out there singing it on his " Endless Tour "
1
Perhaps they're dismissed as shallow preening narcissists...because mostly they are. It's all surface, all artifice, with no more aim than celebrity and wealth. Just what we need more of.
15
This article is filled with anecdotes, but I'm not seeing many metrics in the real world that say influencers are "taking over."
27
We're all turning into dopamine seeking screen zombies, constantly searching for that next "hit" of novelty whether it's a text, like, follow, picture, video, news morsel, sports info, game, etc. We've completely fractured our attention span, outsourced our memory, and ruined our ability to learn, focus, empathize, deliberate and ponder. Our political discourse has broken down into sound bites of outrage only to be forgotten and drowned out by the next news cycle. We're entertaining ourselves to death.
11
Now everyone can create their own culture, and are no longer required to appeal to the tastemakers, who controlled the gateway to publicity.
But he end of tastemakers means the end of taste.
3
My grandmother in the progressive era, my mother in the jazz age, I in my bohemian days in Greenwich Village. All of us felt we were the influencers for and of the future. Ho hum.
2
This “influencer” generation - my generation - is chasing shadows on the cave wall. By contrast, those of us who think critically, engage deep ideas in the offline world and see things as they are, have never had such a clear and wide advantage over our peers as we do now. By all means, dear friends: please do keep checking your view counts.
30
The idea of simply performing for a nearby camera and gaining rewards is not the message I think our children need.
Yesterday, while at the supermarket, I had to move around two young teens in full makeup making videos and photos of each other in front if the dairy section... "ok, now I'm going to do a hair toss" was never something I expected to hear while grabbing a quart of milk.
In other media I read about small business owners being told to "give" goods and services to these "influencers" and receive not payment, but "visibility" and "references" for their hard-earned products.
So it isn't just about ego gratification, it's also about scamming others, or at least taking advantage of others.
Who knew that when PBS broadcast that first "reality" program with the Loud family (did I remember that name correctly?) in the 70's that it would devolve into such shows as Jersey Shore, the Real Housewives franchises, the Kardashians and all these "followers" and wannabes?
16
If this is the future, we are doomed.
26
The way AOC utilizes social media is nothing like what influencers do. C'mon now...
15
They can have it! Good luck.
3
I thought "influencers" were the propagandists with the Integrity Initiative, trying to keep us focused on a narrow MSM narrative of what to believe.
2
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is discovering that the internet is a double edged sword.
She thinks, mistakenly, that it is a source of her power.
What she seems to not understand is that it is a permanent repository of her maladroit and immature commentary.
Which can be replayed, retweeted, rebroadcast, and reblogged over, over, and over again.,
12
@Frank J Haydn
Did you even read this article? An "influencer" is not someone who runs a successful campaign for Congress; it's someone who's trying to get rich producing videos of themselves convincing people bu buy stuff.
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@Frank F
Yes, I did. But you did not, it seems.
Hint: here is the paragraph I was referring to:
"Just look at Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has become a powerful force in Congress by pairing her policy agenda with an intuitive understanding of what works online."
3
I, too, have plans for taking over the world. it starts with training an army of goldfinches to do my bidding by feeding them premium black thistle seed. once they are dependent on me I will send them winging around the countryside, each one with a little placard around its neck reading "WHO IS EUGENE FIELD?"
this, in turn, will create such an uproar that when I step into the stoplight (dyslexics unite!) I will immediately gain millions of followers who will march on beer halls in Milwaukee while selling my personal brand of sneakers, Toe Benders.
once I am a power to be reckoned with I plan to gather all major influencers on a mountain top in South America, where I can have them photobombed and disposed of -- while I take over their endorsement deals.
from my new power base it is only a matter of time before I rule the attention economy like Franco ruled Spain. and from there, who knows? I might reintroduce rosemaling . . .
17
Oh give me a break. Influencers, a term that doesn't even pass spellcheck, as I've just this instant found out, are just young people who are doing what young people do, except now they do it on line.
Are they honing the skills they will need to survive in a crazy consumer driven world? Of course they are, and there will be a few winners and a massive number of losers, just like there are now. Only much worse.
The world in which influencers are the future is a nightmare of gargantuan proportions given the real challenges that generation will face. Dismiss THAT reality at your peril.
Operating 'the levers of the attention economy'' may 'produce a generation of business moguls, politicians and media figures' but unless the attention is directed at making the country and the world a better place, it's merely multiplying all that ails us.
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@Memi von Gaza Being an influencer is as American as apple pie. It all about getting popular and making the money. It is the newest addition to the American Dream and the capitalist way. Capitalism, 21st Century style.
4
@Tim
Further evidence of the ultimate emptiness at the core of capitalism.
5
The digital world is fake unless its a company selling products. It can all disappear in a few nanoseconds. Its also a fad that will fade.
1
To believe that online video stars and starlets will run the world, just because they have lots of online followers, is a silly notion to me. These people will not affect real policy in Washington like some wish to imagine. Yeah, corporations need to look good online just as in any other space, but influencers and online models would likely be crushed in the real adult world of ups and downs.
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@Chris McClure Ronald Regan started out as an actor, and so did Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both became governors of California and one went on to become president. I think it’s very likely that today’s crop of influencers contains at least a small handful of future political leaders.
4
@Phedre - Fact is they were both smart, mature, and highly educated citizens. Yes they were both actors, but what got them there? What got them on that path?
One was in military captain and the other was a champion bodybuilder.
6
Kim Kardashian spearheaded the Trump admin's PR effort for a major criminal reform bill. As weird as it sounds, influencers are *already* influencing politics.
4
Remember when Facebook was cool? How about Google Hangouts? MySpace? AOL?
The fact that an 'influencer' can make some money today does not mean they'll still be profitable in two years, or five, or twenty. All it means is that an entrepreneurial young person has found a way to make a quick buck by jumping on a bandwagon. More power to them, but don't confuse this with actual power or sustainable success.
To find the real powerbrokers of the future, look to the young people succeeding in industries that make actual things or provide meaningful services.
16
It's curious to read something that talks about influence but doesn't talk about the value of the ideas being promoted - the things they want to influence people to do. Influencers are trying to influence people to basically buy more stuff, almost all of which they don't need. No one talks about this because doing so touches a very sensitive nerve of what it means to be American today: you're a consumer. Your consumption is destroying the planet. But you can't help yourself, it is the essence of your identity. This is my complaint with "influencers." They will influence people to do anything as long as the money's good. Oh sure, there are few in politics like AOC promoting good ideas. They are by far the exception. Most of the influencers want people to buy something. Even entire media websites have been taken over by this ethos - look at NYMag.com or any of the Kinja sites: constant advertising disguised as editorial content; even public radio has constant ads now - I can't turn it on without hearing an ad for an app on weight loss (talk about superficial). This radical consumption thinly disguises a culture that is increasingly nihilistic and corrupt.
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"The people who can steer the online conversation will have an upper hand."
The algorithm designed to push "content" (advertising) will decide who has the upper hand.
26
Every category of participation in our culture and economy should be measure by an analysis of how it will work when the electrical grid starts to break down.
15
Great. Yet another industry of people who produce literally nothing for society, and yet somehow make three to five times the average annual income. Just what American needs.
128
Bah. Young people, with their influence and their futures. :)
4
What these new wave of influencers demonstrates is how a masterful manipulator and crafter of an image can now take center stage. Public perception of who you can sell yourself as being more important than the substance or value of what you have to offer. The world is now a stage and everyone on it a potential celebrity. For what has come to define success in America is celebrity and wealth. Donald Trump himself is poster boy for this cultural transition. His administration itself one entertainment extravaganza with social media its key venue fueling a cultural phenomenon of public affairs and commercial enterprise accommodated into the proverbial three ring circus.
10
The author's predictions seem implausible to me because social media is ephemerality itself.
So a 20-year-old influencer will not grow up to be a more powerful, 45-year-old one. She will grow up to be replaced by new 20-year-old influencers. This kind of influence will remain in perpetual adolescence as a forever-younger sibling of the advertising industry.
I'm not much for futurology, but I suspect social media as they are now will come to be seen as just phase in our culture. Probably the giant platforms will continue to fragment (and the nostalgic among us will lament, "remember when we all were a community together, on Face Book and Twitter? Those were the days!")
By then, sentiments like those here--"she who controls Tik Tok controls the world"--will seem quaint and be condescended to like other half-forgotten social trends--flagpole sitting, poodle skirts, CB radios, etc.
49
And there weren't "influencers" in 17th century France (the court at Versailles) and 16th century England (the court of Henry VIII)? Yawn, nothing new here, move along.
"Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts"
18
And to think: I used to just go outside and ride my bike around. And love it.
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As a young adult, I spend most of my free times or procrastination times on social media, especially instagram and YouTube. Therefore, the youtubers that I watch are a big part of my daily life. It is clear that many adults seem to think of young influencers as impulsive and misleading. I don't blame them because it is somewhat true. Almost every youtuber will only share their opinions and since they are young and has not experienced much of life, it can be misleading. On the other hand, they are helpful. As a student, I am often stressed out from school. Comedian youtubers help by making me laugh and release stress. Other might have little talks about taking care of yourself, how to study better, or just by being understanding and relatable. Because of these things, they have a big influence mainly on the younger generation. Therefore, us, the younger generation do think they are good and the future. And we are happy with that. However, since some adults don't think of you influencers as so great, they might not like the idea. Either way, it is quite clear that influencers are more likely to be the future.
5
@Devosmita Debnath Translation for us older folks, YouTube/Instagram/TikTok/etc. is the new TV. Just as we had "influencers" that dressed a certain way, used Ray Bans, etc, these YA's have it on social media. The difference now is it's amplified by a mountain of data that MTV wished it had back in the day. And while these influencers may not last in their social media celebrity (who knows), they are honing their skills with trends, market analysis, and manipulation, so I do believe they'll graduate to where those skills can be used most effectively: politics.
3
@Devosmita Debnath
Since the first woman had a child, who became a teenager, young people with middling IQ's have let the world know that they were the talented, the gorgeously dressed, the self-aware, the influencers, the future. A few, with higher scores and stronger powers of reasoning, invented writing and reading. And will be remembered.
2
And yet they are still shallow, preening narcissists, utterly transfixed by the goal of Brand Me.
Influence is technically true; but it’s just people who are good at getting others to pay attention to them—that’s literally all of the There there. It isn’t always devoid of talent or substance, but those things are increasingly irrelevant.
Faust is calling, apparently he’s dissatisfied with his deal and wants to reopen negotiations; the price of influence is on the rise and a soul just ain’t worth what it used to be.
14
@Mark Holmes Darn. My comment, above (likely), is aimed exactly at this!
"Bah, young people with their influence and their futures."
Cranky. And fixed in the past.
1
Self-branding cattle is quite a remarkable feat of social engineering.
Who says we don’t make things in America anymore?
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@ubique: "Self-branding" sheep, I believe you mean.
1
They unfortunate result of all this is that kids are influenced by YouTubers like Ben Shapiro who do nothing but tear others down and offer little in the way of substance. I work with teenagers and feel it’s leading a dumbing down of our society. We should not ignore this trend. It’s ruing our democracy.
6
@Craig Hate to tell you but our democracy is as broken as it can be. Corporate rule is just about absolute. Lobbyist write the bills they want. People have little to no affect on congress.
If you want democracy back - vote for the party that will stamp out gerrymandering, stop corporate donations and PACs, and place progressive judges in the supreme court. Maybe even champion an amendment that specifically says corporations do not have the same rights as people.
10
So influences are a thing for this generation. Again, I believe it is a way to make money on people who want to be the same. Amazon does that very effectively. People want to sell stuff, unfortunately they do not look under the advertisement.
With the exception of cat and baby video watching, I spend very little time online so I can't say I have a refined opinion on this. But, from what I've seen or heard about, the vast majority of the online world is a wasteland of self-serving vapidity. I assume there is some truly useful content out there but my limited exposure (direct or indirect) to the online world leaves me cynical about the author's premise. These "influencers" may take over the world but to me that sounds like we'll end up with a world of carnival barkers. Isn't the one we have in the White House enough?
48
@A. Jubatus Actually the internet has opened a world of information and knowledge which was more difficult to get before the internet. For example, if you want to read the US Constitution, just search google for the entire text.Or if you want to define the meaning of socialism, you can also do a search to come up with definitions of socialism. Before the internet the forgoing information was more difficult to get immediately.
The influencers are simply modern versions of what older media, television,radio,newspapers and film, did to influence the public. If you believe that the internet is simply a vast wasteland, the you are simply mistaken.
4
@tmonk677 Interesting take. Would you perhaps be using Twitter as an outstanding example of information seeking?
1
These so-called "influencers" are a big deal in virtual space and on social media... until they slip up and say or do something insensitive, immature, or removed from reality. Then, because no one *really* knows who they are other than the idealized portraits they have developed of themselves, they become pariahs.
I contend that it is in the real world -- where people actually have to interact with one another -- that "influence" is created. Its been that way since the dawn of mankind, and the internet, which I love, is not about to change it.
9
People who do this for pay are basically lobbyists. Perhaps they should be required to register as lobbyists, too.
Since I don't use social media at all, I don't read the work of any of these people directly. But I'm still affected by the effects they have on human beings I do interact with. I'm often surprised when people I think of as independent-minded express their opinions in identical language. I guess that's the result of "influencers" at work.
I am getting the feeling I'm living among chatbots.
22
The Federal Trade Commission requires ads and paid postings be labeled as such. They can fine violators. And many states have consumer protection laws that provide for treble damages. Government regulators and private lawsuits can be powerful weapons against deceptive people and practices.
3
@H You may be technically correct, but "violators" are everywhere, and nowhere so frequent as in comment threads such as this one. It's a pretty safe bet that more than half the comments you read in any marginally controversial article on Healthcare (vaccines, opioids, take your pick), Hollywood, or House and Home, (shall we call it 4H Club?) are paid comments by "unregistered" LA and DC lobbyists.
4
"Just look at Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has become a powerful force in Congress by pairing her policy agenda with an intuitive understanding of what works online."
But in case you're not caught up when it comes to the true nature of Ocasio-Cortez's politicasl success, please read The Times piece:
Top Ocasio-Cortez Aide Becomes a Symbol of Democratic Division
This article indicates Ocasio-Cortez is not the brain-trust she made herself out to be.
Instead, her notoriety, her success, is the result of having been chosen by her brash Chief of Staff Saikat Chakrabarti, the Head of Justice Democrats-the group founded to challenge entrenched Democrats through primary campaigns.
As a result of this earlier story in The Times we see how sometmes there's a 'cart before the horse'.
You see, prior to the 2016 election cycle that group 'Justice Democrats' chose Ocasio-Cortez to do its bidding. Give this Times piece a read to get a fuller picture of who Ocasio-Cortez is and you'll get a clearer picture of how she was chosen while a 'coffee-barista' to run for the House seat she now occupies.
19
@merc And as Nancy Pelosi pointed out, the squad got four votes in the Dem caucus. What influence are we talking about exactly? lol
6
It does not seem overly complicated. This is another platform to sell ads. These influencers have a skill to attract eyeballs which then fall on the products that are shown during or before the video. The influencers benefit from the ad revenue (when they get enough eyeballs) as well as money and products from direct product endorsement or product placement. Seems like a good life if you can do it. More power to them.
4
Throughout most of my adult life, I've been well aware that being a Hollywood star is all-consuming and often grueling work, as is being Kim Kardashian. So I have no problem acknowledging that it takes a lot of effort and canny attention-getting to become a VidCon star. However, it's a bridge too far to ask me not to regard them as—what was it?—"shallow, preening narcissists" when they're dressed in "head-to-toe Gucci and Balenciaga outfits with diamond necklaces and designer sneakers." This is not the garb of the humanitarian worker or intellectual.
AOC and Brazilian politicians don't belong in this company. You are confusing the medium, which you need to learn to use to get your message out, with the content. AOC articulates her politics; she know how to attract our attention, and she shares that quality with video performers, but she is interesting, not just entertaining. Before our brains turn to complete mush, let's insist on the difference.
Sounds like the writer (possibly older than the actual VidCon demo written about) is desperately afraid even these long years after high school of not being cool. We're observing a revolution in human communication, but what's being communicated still matters. Engaging my interest, as AOC does, is different from entertaining me. I would probably not be entertained by VidCon stars because I'm too old and I already have a life, but that doesn't mean I dismiss the medium or fail to see its potential, both bad and good.
242
@C Wolfe I was going to comment on this article, but you said it brilliantly. Nothing I could add. Thanks!
22
@C Wolfe
Good points.
I also think there will be a backlash to all this when, inevitably, there are so many people out there attempting to be product/service "influencers" that they will congeal into one amorphous glob and we will not be able to distinguish one from another.
Then, the true influencers may well be those who are NOT accessible through any/all channels 24/7, but whose pronouncements, by virtue of their rarity and thoughtfulness, will give them a degree of gravitas.
21
@Glenn Ribotsky
From your mouth to God's ear.
Oh, to return to the days of substance...
14
Today: Presence, individualism, self-indulgence, “Curating Your Personal Brand.”
Yesterday: Substance, community, sacrifice, “Ask not what your country can do for you.”
America is not inevitable. It takes work and care from each of us to thrive.
115
True - but that wasn’t yesterday. It was pre baby boomer. The boomers who now complain about it were the ones who started it.
7
Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton's progeny, conquering the world. If it ever actually comes to pass, I'm glad I won't be around for that.
I'll take my dose of peril and ignore them for now. Thanks.
144
Timeless lessons from timely subject matter. Nancy Pelosi, in her dealings with the Squad, would benefit from a quick read of this.
4
"Another day, I witnessed an awkward dance battle between two budding TikTok influencers, neither of whom could have been older than 10."
God help us. Really.
153
@mpound
from 15 minutes of fame to 15 seconds...
9
“Some of them will grow up”.....that’s the key phrase. Things may be changing, but people do grow up and get on with life....sooner, rather than later in some cases.
5
Here's to hoping for a future without electricity or the internet...
41
Influencers, just like all people who hang out on social media, are just tools for the established corporations and startups and will, one day, be hacked, identity and banking information stolen or all their contacts/followers locked up with with malware. One at a time they will fall and basically foreign governments will have the control over who succeeds as a profitable influencer. Great big propaganda machines like Google and Facebook, will pale in their ability to influence as the Chinese and Russians battle for dominance. TikTok is owned by a Chinese Company. What you fail to realize is that TikTok is in reality owned by the People's Liberation Army of China. That is how they work. A revised Communism that allows PLA leaders and the Communist Party in China to collect billions.
19
Influencers are nothing but an illusion. Case in point? The Fyre Festival disaster. If the failed Fyre Festival taught us anything, it’s that social media is a huge fake. While someday there may be a TikTok President, it won’t be soon. There is still an entire generation that doesn’t buy in to social media. And as Nancy Pelosi so poignantly pointed out: AOC may have millions of followers but she still has only one vote in Congress. Case closed.
66
If these people are running the world, as you put it, it is a fantasy word, an etherial one, and not the real world as we know it. Shallow people influencing other shallow people. Meanwhile the real world has serious problems and would benefit from some sweat equity. Time to become an adult and actually get to work.
167
This article (like many similar ones) never fully fleshes out the value chain. Do the followers have sufficient disposable income to provide the revenue needed to fund this enterprise? If a follower has an annual discretionary budget of $500, what is the revenue share of each influencer? If there are a million influencers, is there billion dollars of disposable money from the followers to make the math work? Please show some numbers.
The more I read about this topic, the more it feels like a pyramid scheme a la Amway. All the followers are more interested in becoming influencers than in buying the stuff endorsed by influencers.
75
Perhaps these "Influencers" are the future, but this commentary certainly reads like a thing of the past, the long modern past, or lecturing the public about how it has no idea what's going on, the world is being completely transformed, just wait and see. Talk about an old familiar story. Even if so, it won't last too long before the next buzz that transforms everything. And yet, oddly, everything remains fundamentally recognizable. Big mouths, empty heads, and ambition will always do well.
69
Is social media really achieving cultural dominance? Or is it simply devouring journalism, where cutting and pasting tweets and conducting WhatsApp “interviews” has largely replaced the tedious work of going out into the uncomfortable world and actually finding out stuff? By the way, absorbing prepackaged viewpoints at self-hyping conventions doesn't count either.
132
@JL Williams It truly is. You'd be shocked to find anyone under 20 who isn't on at least two major social media platforms multiple times a day. One thing this article didn't mention is that the money involved in advertising to this group of people must have skyrocketed in recent years. I'd be very interested to see this sort of statistic - transforming this opinion piece into a real news article which backs up its points.
6
My 17 year old teen who says he will vote for Bernie Sanders in the next election, who says facebook is for old people, that youtube is on its way out, he says that the influencers (I didn't have a clue what they were until i asked him) shouldn't bank their whole careers on influencing, they should go to college.
94
@Missy
I hope many more American teenagers (and teens elsewhere, too) have the common sense your son is showing.
I wish Trump did, too... oh well, there is always hope...!
9
Discussing "influencers" without exploring HOW others are being influenced is like talking about politicians without addressing their political positions or lauding tech companies without exploring what their actual product is and what the implications are for society. Look where that got us.
20
Frankly I find this scary. These "cyber" people have no tangible connection to Earth and real society . . . and they have a serious ability to influence who gets elected and makes environmental, economic and diplomatic policies.
10
I get that these kids are engaged in a business, applying marketing, public relations and sales skills into building brand value, which is very admirable. But at the center of it all is a deep desire to be famous ... look at me, aren’t I special. I might be an old geezer at this point in my life (I just turned 66) but the valuable lessons that I have learned at the convention called “life,” is that fame and influence are not very sustaining and satisfying accomplishments. What I have found most rewarding from my total life experiences is not what I have accomplished for myself, but rather the joy and sense of pride I have done to help others. I have found my greatest satisfaction and most proud moments come from watching my step-children grow into caring, compassionate, and upstanding adults, the smiles and signs of gratitude of the people whom I have helped along the way, and the circle of friends and associates whom I respect and appreciate for their mutual support during the tough times that inevitably come as part of life. So my best “geezer” advice to this generation of “influencers” is to have fun and make the most of opportunities that come your way, but don’t allow the pursuit of fame and fortune to cloud your ability to focus on what is truly important in life. I too was young and full of ambition and desire in my teens and 20’s. You too will become a “geezer” someday and be forced to reckon with your self what you have done with your life. Make the most of it.
144
Why is the amount of money someone raises always used as an indicator of value in the internet world?
I’d be interested to see figures that show valuation compared to profitability and longevity. Same goes for influencers.
Theranos raised a lot of cash; what was it’s value?
64
MTV revolutionized adolescent attention.
From the new and rapid sounds and images emerged a generation of acclaimed and wealthy entrepreneurs.
Internet influencers are another example of leveraging advancing technology to gain recognition and build a valuable brand.
It is exhilarating to observe this newest wave of technology-enhanced attractions appealing to our youth.
2
@PayingAttention
'Exhilarating' you say?
How about frightening? Shocking? Appalling? Disturbing?
20
It seems like a lot of the popularity builds on light fare like tips and hacks, or on the old basics of sex appeal. But how that expands to influencing on the level of social needs and politics it is hard to tell. Can this essentially 'pop' platform really produce heavy weight thinkers with the depth to lead countries? Knowing how to manipulate is not the same as knowing how to govern? Though I know the cynics in our midst would say it is one and the same. I am just not sure how interested in complex issues a group of followers who like your 'drip' are really going to be.
25
@Jen "Influencing on the level of social needs and politics" and "complex issues" is not what's for sale here.
2
i just don't get it. What transferrable skills are they talking about? They won't have earth to influence if they keep ignoring the ills of the world. Tik Tok is just a distraction, so is all social media. we are allowing these kids to grow huge bases with budgets, more capitalism unchecked. fight your enlightenment and development. "the 21st century will produce a generation of business moguls, politicians and media figures who grew up chasing clout online and understand how to operate the levers of the attention economy.' c'mon?????
53
Idiocracy, the 2006 American film directed by Mike Judge, was intended to be a dystopian comedy dramatizing where America could end up in 500 years time if our anti-intellectualism and commercialism were allowed to go unchecked.
It turns out that the joke is on us. Mr. Judge was way, way, WAY too optimistic. The US has managed to achieve peak idiocracy in 2019, a good 487 years ahead of schedule!! Yet another example of American Exceptionalism.
Instead of President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, we have Donald Trump. The "influencers" described in this article are our travel guides to our brave new world.
297
"The US has managed to achieve peak idiocracy in 2019, a good 487 years ahead of schedule!!"
Such adorable optimism. You assume this will be the peak of such horror!
34