Everybody wants to be an influencer, who is supposed to be influenced? [Brain dump]

Over the past 6-ish years with the turn of social media as a niche section of the world into an encapsulation of the world, there is also a rise in desire for fame (kinda). I think Charli Damelio and other social media stars, especially over quarantine in 2020, helped average people realize how much could be made from social media. A great revenue stream sure, but what happens when everyone wants to be a millionaire?

The original and intended use of social media was for connection. Outcasts found community and friends that they couldn't gain for whatever reason in person, online. Facebook connected students, Reddit connected hobbyist groups, and YouTube let people share videos of their lives.

Then came the like button and algorithms, ploys to keep people on the app. The game officially started - Attention Economics. The sport became who could get the most likes, shares, and views, because those views turned into meals, rent payments, and even car purchases. Social media turned into a business, and with all businesses there are sponsors (ads) that will show up whenever possible to profit off of that attention. Influencers became employees with screen to screen sales pitches, for Amazon links, TikTok shop codes and many other affiliate programs. Because you too can become a sales person for Mary Kay and Avon, digitally of course.

In today's climate however, with minimum wage workers that are living with roommates or parents, trend addicts who just want to fit in or be superior to their online peers, and rich people who have everything already, who is truly being influenced? With the same mindset as all successful parties, if you are not buying something, you are the product. Women tend to get free entry at parties because they attract men who are paying for entry, and other women to also party, people get free access to the internet because businesses get our attention and the ability to sell us whatever they feel like saying they "accidentally bought too much inventory of" and how they "need to sell everything as soon as possible". There's also the great chance that people will join the influencer movement, pedaling products until we all become the same height again standing on our soap boxes, selling anything to each other that nobody needs.

And I have other tangents I could add like how ai plays into people becoming influencers and job layoffs, or how people are cluttering digital spaces, but shy away from other apps/websites when money is not an outcome in posting. Even silly issues like how there is a clear divide between social media strategist advice on the corporate side (aka the only suitable times you should ever put your ceo on camera .. which is usually never .. vs. when I shouldn't even know that a social media manager exists and the account should be primarily faceless.) But I won't harp on those, yet. Instead let's talk strategy.

Is there a solution? Honestly yes and no. Platforms that are anti - paid advertising, undisclosed ads and other forms of influencer advertising basically don't exist aside from Reddit at best (even though they still have paid advertising in the most traditional sense). Even Substack to my surprise had pay walls, despite the recent and increasing push for influencees to subscribe to the thoughts of their favorite front-line jesters. Digital spaces would be able to come moderately close to the uncorrupted Ao3, only if there were many barriers revenues such as every aspect of the site being technically copyright if at all turned into a product. If only digital spaces had as many revenue barriers as the uncorrupted Ao3, maybe then there would be a chance. But even non-profits have their for profit needs with the political and economic state of the world that we are currently in. People will only connect so far when that connection doesn't pay the bills or decrease their current life circumstances. One can only hope that in the era of phone farms and AI chat bots conducting impersonal interactions that but face to face groups and access to steady revenue (without imminent layoff fears) may ultimately be the only solution. Entrepreneurship I suppose is another solution, but I like some others don't desire to be business owners, just talented skill workers.

One can only hope that in the era of phone farms and AI chat bots conducting impersonal interactions, face to face groups and access to steady revenue (without imminent layoff fears) solve this issue. Entrepreneurship I suppose is another solution, but I, like some others, don't desire to be business owners, just people who work in their passions.

Otherwise no one escapes. And in my uneducated assumption, the model will eventually collapse on itself, at least partially. So cheers to whoever is suing Zuckerberg right now, I hope he loses .. it'll set a precedent in the right direction, as long as the penalty isn't just a fine.