In modern day, social media is an ultimate power. It can be helpful, but it can also be used as a weapon to attack; hence, it can be called a double-edged sword. In the present world, trends and algorithms determine what will blow up (in terms of popularity) or fizzle out (go out of trend). The world stands at a point, but the background around it changes continuously, and what was once viral will later go out of trend. Some influencers ride on a few trends and gain a massive following on social platforms, but when they no longer trend, they need to find new ways to retain that audience. What is important is not how many followers you have but whether you can stay at the top. Hence, the trend called influencersgonewild emerged. But what is it?
A. Who are Social media influencers?
Social Media influencers are people who have accounts on social media and create content. Some are unique and may or may not follow the latest trends. They prefer to live in their own, undisturbed corner, giving enjoyment to their target audience. But some people become famous for various reasons (like trend-setting). Some lip-sync to popular audio. And some create entertaining skits which are original and express their various skills like acting and editing. Prank videos are also popular, but they could either pull a good laugh or can’t even be classified as ‘funny’. But what they do is in the name itself, which is to influence. Many people feel left out if they don’t see what is the latest trend. This power can also be highly beneficial to digital marketing. Many small business owners begin on social media by advertising and creating content about their products. Hence, social media also has the power to raise businesses.
B. Social Media Platforms:
What are the various social media platforms that people tend to use? We have Instagram, a popular app for making videos and posting photos. We have Twitter (now known as X), where people can share their opinions and debate. Reddit also has a similar concept to Twitter, but has additional features. And who can forget Facebook, where people can share interesting things in their lives. But no one can forget TikTok, the most famous social media platform, which has been downloaded over a billion times. We also have Snapchat, Threads, and other apps that people use.
C. Trends:
What are trends? Well, it is an idea or concept that people find interesting and make it ‘viral’. And that is determined by how many views and interactions it gathered on social media platforms. It can be either a news piece, admirable, or shocking. Some incidents bring people together while some break them apart, and this incident was the former. But trends do not last long, as people will soon lose interest in them or find something more interesting. And that is where the social media influencers, who are trying to stay at the top, start finding some difficulties. And some resort to odd ways to stay relevant.
D. Algorithm:
An algorithm in the context of social media is a system that decides what people watch. When you open a social media app, you get content based on what you watched previously, similar things, and videos you might be interested in. Some content may be less likely to be recommended on your ‘For You Page’ because you do not interact with that type of media. And if you are being recommended something you don’t want to see, you can press the ’do not recommend’ button. And so, the algorithm is also a reason why trends reach across the world through these platforms. But it doesn’t hold much power when one can just choose not to watch the recommended content.
E. Influencers Gone Wild:
Now that much was explained, what is the term ‘influencers gone bad’? Here, popularity matters. Being a social media influencer is a profession that earns recognition, fame, and wealth. Some are chosen to make contracts with various companies. And some are even sponsored to speak about the company’s products. But in order to remain famous, they must gain attraction for everything they post. Some have millions of views for every video, like Mr.Beast and others. In some cases, people do odd and controversial things (like heinous pranks or attacking others online) in order to have online interaction. At the end, the views matter. Even if haters watch the content to criticise, their view also contributes to the influencer’s account.
People pretend to be something they are not or fake a whole personality from someone famous. Though it might entertain some at first, in the end, people will be disappointed in the people they once admired. An influencer may have created interesting and good content, but as they grew up, their videos lost the quality they had for various reasons.
F. Examples:
Here are some examples of Influencers gone wild and lost the trust between them and their fans:
a. Andrew Tate:
Andrew Tata is a kickboxer who turned to social media and makes podcasts. But he is known for promoting toxic masculinity and misogynistic views on his accounts. As a result, he was banned from Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and others. He was even arrested for crimes like human trafficking.
b. Logan Paul:
Logal Paul is an influencer who has over 70 million followers across various platforms. But in 2017, he made a controversial video in Aokigahara Forest, Japan. The forest is also known as “suicide forest” because of the many people who choose to tragically end their lives there. Logan and his friends encountered a dead body there and filmed it, making inappropriate comments. He received massive backlash on social media for being insensitive. He was also accused of disrespecting Japanese culture and was even caught in a Cryptocurrency scam. These incidents decreased the trust his followers had in him, and YouTube even took action against him by revoking his privileges. He did try to rebuild his image, but the damage is done.
c. Lil Tay:
Lil Tay became famous when she was young for showing the cars and money her family owned. But it was later revealed that her family used her to garner attention on social media. After lying low for a few years, a post about her ‘death’ was published on her social media. Like her, many children are exploited by their family or guardians to gain attention and fame.
d. Belle Delphine:
Belle Delphine was a gamer who turned to making inappropriate content on her social media. She even sold her bath water, a ‘trend’ many are following in the present days.
Hence, social media has the power to change the world for the better or for the worse. Influencers can change people through their content, and when they make controversial videos, they can create a negative impact on the very people who admire their skills. Influencers gone wild is a trend that can result in consequences if more people contribute to it.
