Photo Courtesy of Business Insider and Getty Images
Social media platforms have grown in popularity over the past few years. However, with such popularity, its criticism has also grown. Younger generations are mainly consumed with their online images and lives. As society moves online, it is difficult to determine the validity of specific posts and people.
Social media influencers
In recent years, the title "social media influencer" has been adopted by many who use their platform to influence their followers. According to an article from Viewpoint, the influencers' goal is to influence their audience's shopping habits, thinking, and beliefs. Many influencers post with genuinely beneficial intentions, hoping to bring social or political issues awareness. However, many use their platform and follow in a more negative context, making a monetary gain on their following through brand deals.
Who is behind the post?
Brand deals are not always a bad thing. Brands commonly reach out to social media users with larger platforms in hopes they are willing to share a post promoting a specific product. Many influencers have good intentions and honestly believe in the product they are promoting for the brand, but some influencers fail to label posts as brand deals. Many users expect influencers to tag their posts as an advertisement or be transparent in their motives for posting such remarks. Instead, influencers are master manipulators, according to the Viewpoint article, who can convince their supportive followers to purchase something simply because they endorsed it.
As noted in a Psychology Today article, users are naturally willing to trust that people are honest with them as "we are programmed to trust others." Those tendencies apply to social media and the desire to trust influencers' opinions of products. Companies use social media users' willingness to trust people with a large following. There is no way to tell whether an influencer lies about a product, even when they label their posts as advertisements. It's challenging to determine whether influencers are writing a positive review for monetary gain or because they genuinely like the brand. Many users are not willing to critically analyze social media posts because they are so willing to trust the face of a person with millions of supporters.
Brands have even moved into creating their influencers who are essentially avatars made to look like humans. Those influencers are created with the sole purpose of promoting a brand or spreading brand awareness. The problem with these influencers arises when companies are secretive and dishonest in their efforts. For example, Lil Miquela — an avatar influencer created by a company named Brud — was on social media as an influencer for two years before it was revealed she was an avatar. Many rumors had circulated that Lil Miquela was not a natural person, yet her presence on social media was still quite significant, and people believed her message.
As a society, we are entering a point when we must question whether a real person or avatar is behind a post. We must question whether posts are made by an influencer based on their genuine beliefs or a brand. Social media is no longer just a place where people share updates on their lives, but it is becoming where corporate interests determine what we see on our timelines. When brands use social media to their advantage, the company contributes to the more significant issue of truth on social media.
Importance of honesty in brand endorsements and motivations
It is challenging for people to discern whether posts are made in the interests of companies and brands. Truthfulness and transparency are two of the most critical ethical codes journalists are taught to uphold. In writing a story, it is essential to let readers know of any conflict of interests or validity concerns at the top of an article or newscast. However, social media users and companies are not tied to such codes. If they were, every post made as an endorsement for a company would be labeled as such. Influencers would be honest and confess that they receive money for making the post.
Journalism and social media are not that different. Like journalists, social media influencers can shape public perception of an event or product. So, why aren't they held to the same standards? Influencers must remain honest in their motivations as not to create an online sphere full of deceitful companies trying to boost their ratings through dishonest endorsements.
No comments:
Post a Comment