Blog Post #9

 Blog Post #9

EOTO Terms & Concepts 

Kenzie Van Cleef 

Online Influencers

What are Online Influencers?

An online influencer is someone who can influence what others think and has a significant amount of followers on social media. They are recognized for their honesty and extensive knowledge in a particular industry. It dates back to the early 2000s, when internet platforms like blogging gained popularity. Some influencers include Brent Rivera, Addison Rae, Taylor Swift, and even Justin Bieber. 

What are The Implications?

Two important political tenets which are open discussion and the exchange of ideas can be greatly supported by a free flow of information on the internet and social media. A few implications that revolve around online influencers include, shaping consumer behavior, creating unrealistic beauty standards, influencing mental health, driving trends, and potentially spreading misinformation. 

       PROS OF ONLINE INFLUENCERS

• There are cons / negatives to the idea behind online influencers. However, there are also pros to it. Some of those pros include; content strategy, targeted audience, brand awareness, brand credibility, and cost effective. 

         CONS OF ONLINE INFLUENCERS 

• After hearing the pros list heres a few of cons behind the idea of online influencers. Those include; lack of authenticity, fake followers, political disbelief's, misinformation, and negative association's. There is overall, a ton more of both pros and cons to being someone who influences and posts a ton online. 

How Might It Affect a Society As A Whole 

There are a few different reasons where online influencers can affect society. One being they have all the power to influence perspectives and public opinion. However others may have a way different perspective on it causing a controversy. Another important point that people might not realize is that, regardless of how well-known or how many followers they have, the words they use may have an effect on people other than themselves.

How Might it Affect Different segments Differently 

   There are five total main focus's that might affect different segments differently. The first one includes the rich / poor. When it comes to affecting the rich it can help things like helping brands reach customers, creates a bigger industry, and driving consumer spending. It affects the poor because some influencers have covered the topic of global poverty where as in some ways it can be taken wrong by certain people It can also cause violence. The next one is the old and the young. Online influencers can affect young adults in many ways such as their self-esteem, body image, harmful products, and even misinformation. However it can also affect older adults. For example, inspiration and motivation, avoiding negative feedback, intergenerational solidarity, and purchase behavior. The third one is male and female and both  can relate into how online influencers can affect one another. Meaning a guy may see another guy and wanna be or look just like them and same with females and that has a huge thing to do with insecurity. For example, when a guy is really strong or a girl is very skinny it impacts the way the individual might see themselves and that happens to almost everybody. After that one is the LGBTQ community, for both gay and straight or anyone apart of the LGBTQ community it can affect a lot of people by raising awareness, promoting empathy, building trust and creditability and even inspiring social change. Lastly, we have majority and minority just like a few of the other given examples for both majority & minority it can start a political, body image, racial inequalities, social support, and brand perception. 

                                            How Might It Affect / Family Members and Generation 

Online influencers affect not only family members, but the person themselves and there generation. It might affect a person themselves because of a few things such as; self-esteem, mental health, behavior, and role models. Influencers as well affect families in multiple ways by identity formation, family communication, physchological well- being, and role models. Lastly, It affects our generation because of the pressure to buy, behaviors, mental health, and self esteem.