I must begin by saying that the very term “influencer” already gives me an allergic reaction. Although it has existed for three centuries, it has adapted to the times and taken on a new dimension on social media. The original meaning of “influencer,” however, has not really changed. Basically, an individual —the “influencer”— develops and uses their popularity to push something onto you that benefits them. Their interest has more to do with their own ego and profit than with making any useful contribution to society.
Following, admiring, idolizing, or imitating someone just because they are selling you something, while taking away something very important: your time. Nowadays, entertainment with superficialities that add nothing is guaranteed through a device that has spread across the entire world. We carry it in our pocket, and most of the time, it remains in our hand.
A few days ago, Al Jazeera published a reel on Instagram explaining how the State of Israel’s propaganda apparatus pays “influencers” to create content denying aspects of Gaza’s dire situation, such as hunger. These figures enjoy a certain popularity and command an army of followers that can exceed half a million. What kind of people are susceptible to consuming the content of these online phenomena? If we take a look at what they produce, it is pure entertainment, devoid of any real value. A sign of the high degree of stupidity that human beings can reach.
These “influencers,” recruited by Zionism, show a stance on a current issue that is none other than the perpetration of a genocide carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people. I don’t know what the real impact of this kind of propaganda is. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of followers of a single one of these accounts being susceptible to swallowing their content, merely out of an irrational admiration for some guy who would sell their own mother if necessary. “Influencers” have neither ethics nor morals. Their goal is to increase their number of followers at all costs, in order to have better chances of securing sponsorships and new collaborators, who ultimately sustain their channels.
On social media, however, we often come across “influencers” who neither take a stance nor comment on politically or socially charged issues. And if they do, it’s usually because the topic carries little ambiguity or risk. The reason is that they don’t want to clash with the brands and collaborators that provide them financial support. Nor can they afford a scandal that could cause them to lose followers en masse. In other words, the “influencer” influences their followers by showcasing their lifestyle: how they dress, how they speak, and what products they use. It’s a showcase. They influence not only with what they do and say, but also with what they don’t do and don’t say.
I find it worrying that so much admiration exists and so much time is devoted to watching what people we don’t know —and will probably never meet— are doing.
For me, it’s clear: the owners and administrators of these accounts with thousands of followers, who do not use their popularity to denounce the genocide in Palestine, make it clear that they only care about stealing your time, profiting commercially, and feeding their ego.
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