Do you wish to simply be an influencer, or an influencer for good? Common sense would dictate the former outnumbers the latter, for sharing information is the easy part and most influencers gain their initial audience by doing something to get people’s attention and doing it often enough. But how much one truly cares about the veracity of their message, and nature of their influence, is what determines value.
This is a dilemma for any who choose to enter the information arena. It is a crowded one but there is always room, especially for those who truly seek to raise the consciousness of an ever-evolving human collective.
It is not my intention to judge anyone, and I understand value is in the eye of the beholder. All I am saying is in the modern climate of desperate attention-seeking, where too many fixate on the chase for engagement, it is now, more than ever, not only wise but beneficial to aim for quality, integrity, and uniqueness. If nothing else, it would make for a richer online landscape, if not a better world.
The question we need to ask ourselves is, what are we advocating? Being aware of what we advocate lends us direction and fuel, and also prepares us for when opposition arrives which, if we are going about our task properly, it invariably will. For any formidable action begets an equal and opposite reaction.
When such an opposing force arises to challenge the ideology we espouse, we face 3 options: stay neutral, backtrack, or defend our corner. From my observation, most tend to do a mix and it is understandable because constantly taking a stand can be exhausting. Which is why many influencers end up spreading mixed messages. This gives the impression they do not walk the talk and leads to accusations of “shilling” or “grifting”.
Who would be an influencer, then? If we’re referring to social media and other online platforms, these environments are a viper’s pit where one can be called all sorts of names simply for expressing a belief, or even just an opinion. It’s no wonder some, after having spent time in this tumultuous arena, choose to leave it behind entirely, for their own sanity.
What inspired me to write this was a report claiming the percentage of Gen Z who want to become influencers fell from 57 to 5 between 2023 and 2026. Regardless of its accuracy, this statistic sparked my curiosity. It made me wonder if the time has come to redefine the term “influencer” and attach to it a wholistic meaning, rather than one associated with being in the public eye.
Our thoughts combine with words and actions to influence the reality around us. In that respect, everyone is an influencer. You do not have to want to be an influencer, you already are. But again, do you wish to simply be an influencer, or an influencer for good?
I hereby applaud all who make the choice to be influencers for good and stay on the path, weathering each and every storm while defending their corner and those of their ilk.