Sometimes it’s surprising to meet a person and be told by someone, “She [or he] is famous on Instagram.”
Why is it surprising? Because back in the day (I told you that you’re going to see this phrase here a lot), you were famous if you were a movie star or a socialite whose face is often in society columns. You could also be the child of a rich person/celebrity/socialite and be sort of famous.
These days you can be famous for a lot of things. One lovely girl I follow on Instagram is famous because she had her debut at the Mall of Asia Arena with MAC Cosmetics as one of her sponsors. Her family actually bought a ton of products from the brand, which chose to support her as a sign of goodwill. Anyway, I love how this girl gives me a glimpse of her fabulous life via photos and Instagram Stories. There’s nothing annoying about her. She is cute, close to her family, a devoted girlfriend and loves her dog. I also follow a lot of “famous” people on Twitter. One of them is this girl who used to date a famous guy. She is now (based on her tweets) hurting because she and her last boyfriend broke up. I like her better though when she’s sarcastic than when she is sad and mopey. But that’s the thing about following people who are famous on the Internet—you only get glimpses of who they really are.
I don’t know who was it that said a person’s names should be in the papers three times in his or her life—upon birth, after marriage and upon death. I’m not sure if this still applies now. Because these days, being famous means many things.
Being famous these days usually means having a lot of followers, likes and retweets. Why am I talking about being famous? That’s because influencers are now under attack (OK, I exaggerate a bit) for not taking a stand on the things that matter.
They’re being bashed for choosing to post OOTDs instead of trying to make a difference. I will not defend them because, frankly, I’ve long given up after a lot of disappointments. For instance, there was this influencer who I really admired until I learned that she was selling the PR samples she received for consideration. This is not to judge her but, honestly, she could have just given them away.
I will not bash anyone or even throw shade at any influencer or Internet-famous person. What I will say is this: You need to make a stand. You don’t need to be an expert. Your statements may be clumsy or awkward, but you need to say or do something.
Some will but only when they are inconvenienced by things, such as traffic, potholes on the road or long lines at the department-store cashier. You accept money from brands as an influencer. With great power and privilege come a responsibility to be a person who makes a difference, not just in terms of always looking good. For me, an influencer should inspire people, especially their younger fans who are sometimes lost and confused.
I remember how so many of my daughter’s classmates wanted to be influencers. They said it like it was us wanting to be doctors or teachers when we were still in school. That’s how influential these influencers are. Young people see these influencers’ lives on Instagram and imagine how blessed they are with free stuff, all-expense-paid trips and events with free flowing booze.
It may sound corny, but an influencer, while he or she doesn’t need to be perfect, is someone who is supposed to influence us in good ways. Times are changing. Influencers are the new rock stars. They’re still in the growing stage as public figures and because so many of them are very young, maybe they’re also unsure and hesitant. Maybe in time, they will find their voice.