EOTO #2: What I Learned
During the second round of EOTO presentations, I learned about the various kinds of ways that information is translated, what stems from its spread, as well as the effects it causes. One of the ways information is spread is through online influencers. During Erin’s presentation, I learned about just how much influence on the general public online influencers have gained over the years. Online influencers are people who have been made famous by their popularity on social media. Their fame and fortune comes from the large following and brand partnerships that they gain. These influencers post videos ranging in length about various subject matters. The partnerships that the influencers engage in, in which they promote products can be misleading as they don’t have to use or even like the product to promote it. These influencers exist on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and the most recently popular platform, TikTok. Examples of these influencers are David Dobrik, The D’Amelio family, Addison Rae, Emma Chamberlain, and James Charles.
While I was aware of most of this information, I was unaware of just how big of an influence they hold. As of 2021, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations according to the Digital Marketing Institute. Because this is so increasingly popular, the industry was worth 13.8 billion in 2020. Becoming an online influencer is also a very flimsy or risky choice as “cancel culture” is at an all-time high. Cancel culture is when an influencer or celebrity is turned on (against) by the internet and social media for things they may have said or done which can be minor or major or true or untrue. When this occurs, the influencers are dropped from brands to not tarnish the brand's reputation or image. Overall the spread of information through online influencers is an occurrence of modern technology in this digital age in which what they are spreading can often be misleading.
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