When it comes to this generation that we are transitioning into, Instagram and social media influencers are rising, but I feel that the ways that these influencers are posting do not necessarily positively influence the masses like many think they do. From my experience and observation, the life of an Instagram influencer can be complex in the sense that it can be emotionally and mentally straining with negative comments from followers and the constant obligation for updates to their followers. As result, there can be times where these negative situations can put the influencer in a bad place and promote bad habits to their followers as well. On both sides, it can be toxic for those exposed to it. On the other hand, there are times that influencers positively affect their audience. There are influencers such as Jamie Oliver and David Chang, who are both critically acclaimed chefs, who use their platforms on social media as way to teach young chefs or even people wanting something new to cook, how to cook in an easy, safe, and occasionally healthy way. Additionally, other influencers are known promote really healthy lifestyles as well, showing tips and tricks to make eating and living easier and more eco friendly for a more sustainable future. One of the main things that James Asquith discusses in his article is the fact that influencers are spoiling special destinations in the world that should be experienced in person, rather than through a screen. He mentions that influencers do not have the exigence to be able to recommend activities for their followers and they do not actually influence their audience; they essentially provide their lifestyle full of content and have it looked at through a magnifying glass (Asquith 1). I can agree with this ideology, but there are aspects that are not necessarily as black and white as that. These influencers curate content, no different than an advertisement, but there are always areas for promotion and influencing in areas that are familiar with them on their audience.
Have Instagram Influencers Ruined Travel For An Entire Generation?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesasquith/2019/09/01/have-instagram-influencers-ruined-travel-for-an-entire-generation/#1f6d2d171e30
I found it particularly interesting when you mentioned that social media influencers shouldn’t be “spoiling special destinations”. This is something I haven’t stopped to consider — despite my Instagram feed being entirely crowded with vacation pictures and exotic trips. I think the impact social media influencers have on their audience can be viewed in two different lights — much like anything else. As viewing these exotic trips can be a “spoiler” to followers — it can also be viewed as an inspiration. Personally speaking, I have gained so much knowledge on places I have never considered going or have never even heard of. I take these photos as an opportunity to add these locations to my bucket list. ‘Inspiration’, however, can be a tricky word. I know many people see these pictures and yearn to be in the position they are. They may not see it as an opportunity to set a goal to one day make it to this special destination — but instead, become depressed that they do not share the same opportunities to those online. They may take this time to reflect on how they work a 9-5 job and don’t have enough money or time to travel the world like these influencers, causing a downward spiral into depression. According to Medium.com, “As social media and digital continue to impact our daily lives in every way, FOMO is becoming more prevalent among anyone in touch with the virtual world. “FOMO” stands for fear of missing out. According to a study, it’s “the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out — that your peers are doing, in the know about, or in possession of more or something better than you”. The psychological occurrence of missing out is particularly widespread among Millennials.” (Oh 2018). With this increasing trend of the fear of missing out, social media can have a serious strain on the mental health of several individuals. With that being said, social media influencers also hold a great role in marketing products to consumers and many other opportunities that has created a pivotal role in society. Just like anything else, social media influencers can create positive benefits as well as negative consequences. It all depends on how you handle the information you are consuming.
Reference:
https://medium.com/@aliceoh_/fear-of-missing-out-fomo-and-why-your-brand-needs-to-know-about-it-ce6403d3e70c
I think Instagram Influencers has a much stronger influence than we thought. According to medium.com” The term “influencer marketing” increased by 325% in Google searches over 2017. Making this the fastest-growing online acquisition method of the year.”Lots of new products and new work of arts become popular because of Instagram. One of the obvious effects of Influencers is that they have a huge effect on people’s buying choices. I think if an influencer that you are following is sponsored by a particular brand, they will post pictures about that brand, and because you are following that influencer it is more likely that you want to buy the product not because of the products itself but the influencer. Sponsorship and advertisements are now everywhere on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, followers tend to trust the person they are following more, so more companies are looking for popular influencers to sponsor. Influencers could deliver those brand messages more effective than advertisement does. Instagram’s strong influence not only reflected in the business scope, but it also reflected in other fields. Some influencers could also make a very positive and motivating effect on people. For example, people might start to change their eating habit in a healthier way because they want to look as healthy as the influencers they are following. Most influencers prefer to express themselves in a positive and motivating image so I think most of the time they are leading people into a better life. So social media’s influencer is having a huge impact on people’s life. More and more people are setting those influencers as their role models and they are enjoying it.
https://medium.com/crobox/under-the-influence-the-power-of-social-media-influencers-5192571083c3
I personally believe that Instagram influencers can have negative impacts on their audiences in terms of mental health. When celebrities post images of their “perfect” life with the vacations they are taking and the perfect body image, it can lower people’s self-esteem and confidence in themselves since they cannot relate to the celebrities on the same level. Additionally, when celebrities endorse products, they don’t even use the products themselves and are only posting misleading ads (Lown Institute) due to the cash it brings in for them. In this sense, I think celebrities are harming their audience because they are making people waste money on products that potentially might not work. Thus, I feel that Instagram influences should change the way they market their page because in the long-run, their posts can have a negative impact on their audience.
Source: https://lowninstitute.org/news/blog/how-some-instagram-influencers-are-a-bad-influence-on-health/
With the rise of social media and the quick rise to fame of teenagers going viral, it is interesting to take a step back and evaluate just how influential this Instagram “celebrities” are. As we mentioned in class, social media doesn’t have any prerequisites to join and is completely free, meaning virtually anyone can go online and create an account and profile. This allows for anyone to gain as many followers as they can and rise to fame on the app. Social media influencers have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers so they have quiet a large reach and audience. I like to hope that all influencers use their platforms to promote positive messages and causes. Some of the most dangerous aspects of social media include low engagement, fake or unauthentic sponsorships, morality, ethics, and FTC regulations. Many people few social media influencers lives as super exciting and picture perfect, however many work diligently behind the scenes to craft an almost fake life and world. Many unfortunately do not promote a true reality of their lives to make their followers believe they live more lavishly then they do.
Source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/6-dangers-of-influencer-marketing/558493/
I think that this is an extremely interesting notion to bring up. Instagram influencers are beyond popular in our generation, and I think it is important to begin the discussion regarding how influential they truly are on their audience. As a 19 year old girl (who is very active on social media platforms), I constantly find myself in the trap of wishing that I could promote products and reach an audience much larger than I am reaching right now. I feel as if many girls my age that are active on social media can also relate to this idea. However, what if we were to raise the question: What affect does being an Instagram influencer have on the influencer’s mind?
I have heard many speculations of the emotional toll that being a social media influencer has on the people that obtain this job. They feel as if their platform is not gaining followers rapidly or even that their page is not making their audience engaged/content. According to the Guardian, “Alexandra Mondalek, a fashion reporter in New York, found herself obsessing over social media. Her rapidly growing fashion-focused Instagram account, @hautetakes, was gaining attention, with a little more than 1,000 followers, and it was all she could think about.” My point exactly. This girl was a rising Instagram influencer and it was absolutely taking over her life. It was consuming her every thought, and this was not healthy at all. Furthermore the article said, “I was putting too much weight into who was viewing my Instagram,” says Mondalek, who started posting photos of the free gifts she received from designers and PR teams, hoping to build her following. “I would worry about how a post was performing instead of making important calls. I felt a certain pressure to make a brand of myself, and there was so much anxiety in that.” All in all, social media influencing is not as perfect and easy as it appears. It creates a sense of competition and stress within the influencers. Instagram seems to have a complicated relationship with all of its users.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/08/instagram-influencers-psychology-social-media-anxiety
I think it’s a little bit of a stretch to claim that influencers have absolutely no effect on their followers choices. They wouldn’t be labeled influencers if they weren’t, in fact, influential. In fact, influencers have become such a large part of the social media world that a new type of marketing has emerged called “influencer marketing.” It’s similar to using celebrity endorsements to sell products or services, such as Brad Paisley and Peyton Manning starring in Nationwide’s latest ad campaign. Instead of the use of typical celebrities, however, companies are using social media influencers to endorse and show off products to certain segments of people. Influencer marketing can be seen as a sort of “collaboration between brands and influencers” (“What is Influencer Marketing”, 2019). Perhaps the most important detail about influencers is that they can be anywhere and anyone. They can be a teenage girl who accumulated millions of YouTube subscribers just by making slime videos. They can be athletic trainers who share workout tips and tricks through Instagram. As long as they have enough followers, and their followers are the right target market, a company may decide to use them for a campaign.
Sources:
What is Influencer Marketing? An in Depth Look at Marketings Next Big Thing. (2019, September 12). Retrieved from https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-influencer-marketing/