[Gen Z] is increasingly posting on social media in the manner of professional influencers: sharing daily routines, pitching or unboxing products, modeling clothing and advertising personal Amazon storefronts. These videos are often viewed as cool and entrepreneurial by peers (and sometimes by bemused parents)....
It's "viewed as cool" — that it, it's not delusional and embarrassing to behave, in social media, as if you're already an influencer. This is a strange issue, because what is it to be a "real" influencer? What are/were "influencers"? We used to critique them as fake celebrities, fake stars, so why be "bemused" that younger people are faking the fakery? If it was fake to begin with, then faking the fake should be cool. It's savvy and meta.
I'm old! Does anyone say "savvy" and "meta" anymore? Googling, I see "meta" has been ruined by the company called Meta, which is to say, Facebook, which is to say, not cool at all. As for "savvy," I tested its recent usage by searching the NYT archive, and, meta-ly, meatily, the newest appearance of "savvy" is in this very article I'm in the middle of reading:The driving idea is that anyone can be a creator and bring in money and free products from companies, who are eager to work with the young and the savvy on TikTok, where it can be hard for brands to break in....
Ha ha ha. But anyway, this article is about social media that features products, and the content creator uses Amazon links to the products to make money. It's a simple and well-known business plan. I have an Amazon search box in the sidebar (and appreciate your use of it), though I would only link to a product in a post if it's something I was blogging about anyway. And in the past, there've been times when we've actively done Amazon posts here.
But these Gen Z kids who are "playing influencer" — are they doing this as a way to make money or are they enamored of the "influencer" persona and pursuing gratification by emulating famous "influencers" they've seen an envied? It seems to be the former. Isn't that wholesome? They're salespeople.
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Here's an appalling stat that I came across the other day. A study conducted by Morning Consult in 2020 found that 86% of Generation Z surveyed said they wanted to become social media influencers. We are doomed.
Robert Crumb in the documentary "Crumb" touched on this in 1995. He's drawing in what looks like the Tenderloin in SF and he comments - in 1995 - how everyone was a walking-talking advertisement. Totally subconscious. This has been going on a very long time.
Banksy is right.
I'm standing in front of a mirror trying out various poses and expressions that may influence the general population into seeing the ultimate coolness of hearing aids. Not there yet, but when I nail it, I'm gonna be HUUUGE on the TikTok.
This is a modern version of the front yard lemonade stand. It's a normal type of play, and it's normal to imitate parents/role models. The trouble is that the 'influencer' career path borders on narcissism under the best of circumstances. It'll likely result in elevated anxiety and the fake-friendly used car salesperson social interaction style. But, this is not news nor is it deeply troubling as a type of childhood play.
A bigger potential problem is if children and adults continue to behave as 'influencers' with no audience years and years. This would reveal cargo-cult thinking, magical thinking, and deep dysfunction. It's not unlike those who seek an equity law salvation through government gifts when they have no education nor the skills to support a high income and luxury lifestyle.
Maybe Gen Z posts because that's how young people socially connect and express themselves. The influencer part is nice work if you can get it.
Those damn kids and their rock music. They'll ruin the country.
The barriers to entry and probability of success are vanishingly small. Talent and hard work are in short supply and competition is furious.
Other than that ...
My wife has 33,900 followers on TikTok. With no link to Instagram and an OnlyFans account. Is she an influencer?
As opposed to things like reading and studying for school or work. The illiterate generation.
We will remove the motto "In God We Trust" from out currency and coinage and replace it with "Fake It 'til You Make It." Soon. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon.
Who do these goofs really influence other than teens? Who except them would "plank"
in street just for a tik tok video? Affluent white people have too much time on their hands if this what bothers them so much.
True, the chances of success are slight, just like the chances of becoming a famous singer or movie star, but there are some success stories. Until recently I didn't know Mr. Beast existed, but he has over 100 million followers on youtube.
Product reviews have been a thing since the time of the cavemen... Kids influencing othr kids as to what the "cool" products are is nothing new either. What is new is the reach the kids have through social media as well as the methods that allow sellers of product to encourage them.
It is seen by some to be "easy" money but the ratio of those trying to make a living at it and those succeeding at it mirrors most endeavors. Some do well, but most don't.
I don't actually see why anybody is upset about it.
"The barriers to entry and probability of success are vanishingly small. Talent and hard work are in short supply and competition is furious."
The entire world now wants to 'move to Hollywood and try to make it big'. Everyone wonders why this is happening and when productivity will return to normal. It's not. It will require externalities (mostly negative) that force its return.
Every kid in the country can see what lying, cheating, stealing, and being idle will get you. They're learning it by watching any societal role model you could choose at random from across the globe. They learned it from watching you Hunter. They learned it from watching you.
We are living in an age when it is indeed possible to make a living playing video games. My teachers lied to me.
Like Mark Twain’s small town where everyone makes a living taking in each others laundry.
Professional envy?
I sometimes enjoy the product ads in videos, they reflect the pitches I've seen in videos from the shows in the '50s and '60s when Steve Allen, Groucho, Dick Cavett, etc. would make the overt break to sell the sponsor's product.
But the real danger to some I fear, is that these kids having tasted the sweet water of entrepreneurship will develop a resistance to the school teaching of socialism. Once you have earnings to be taken, the infringement on your right to keep those earnings and use them to generate wealth for yourself by participating in markets and enterprises is all the more poignant.
It there a risk of a generation of Alex P. Keatons arising?
found that 86% of Generation Z surveyed said they wanted to become social media influencers. We are doomed.
If everybody is an influencer, nobody is. You are surrounded by influencers. Your family member recommending a roofing company is the "old school" influencer.
My Gen Z daughter has done videos for her friends of the latest outfits she has purchased. Is she trying to be an influencer? Only to her friends. It's the same as when kids would get together to try on clothes in their bedrooms. It's just moved to a digital age.
I thought fake was out and the latest trend was a new authenticity, transparency and full-disclosure.
Now we're back to the old superficial smoke'n mirrors and subterfuge.
Having trouble keeping up.
It's telling that ByteDance (tik toc's owner) doesn't show the same self destructive, morbid, and creepy content to their own population like they do to ours. Wow. Go figure? "Information wants be free" the cloud people told us, right? Though it actually seems having a digital sewer pipe flowing directly into our children's psyche isn't really such a benefit, free or not
Once UBI is running properly, they'll all have plenty of time to perfect their presentations.
Sadly, the AI fake influencers will be much better than the the real fake influencers.
"Here's an appalling stat that I came across the other day. A study conducted by Morning Consult in 2020 found that 86% of Generation Z surveyed said they wanted to become social media influencers. We are doomed."
Young people with no talent see it as a shortcut to fame (and, they hope, wealth). (This is not to say there are no "influencers" who are actually talented, hard-working, and entertaining...as there are.)
Frankly, I think any person who wants to be a celebrity--as opposed to wanting to work and accomplish great things in the arts or other endeavors that may result in renown as a secondary result--has to be emotionally warped in some way.
"I don't know why people want to be influenzers. It's dangerous!"
- Emily Litella
"...86% of Generation Z surveyed said they wanted to become social media influencers"
Working from home...selling Bud Lite like Dylan Mulvaney.
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