Introduction to OSP: Influencers

 

1) What years did YouTube, Twitter and Instagram launch?

In 2005 YouTube was launched,2006 was when Twitter was launched and lastly Instagram was in 2010.

2) What is the definition of an influencer?

Influencer is an ideal model representative that has an impact on society who influences people to make decisions using their platform.

3) Give an example of an influencer and how many followers they have. Try and add some additional information, brand associations or other statistics if you can.

Kylie Jenner who has 395M followers on Instagram and has a rapid increase in other platforms. She was trying to promote her makeup products of her own shop that is named Kylie Cosmetics.

4) How big is the influencer industry according to the article?

According to the article, the influencer industry is very big as by by the end of 2019,the influencer marking industry was worth some $8bn a year. One recent report by Insider Intelligence predicted that it would grow to $15bn globally by the end of 2022.

5) What are the problems associated with being an influencer?

The problems associated with being an influencer is that there is always pressure  of always seeking to increase your follower count to drive up revenues. But arguably the toughest part, says Amy Hart (1.1 million followers), is negotiating payment in a crowded market. 

6) Why is it suggested that audiences actually like being sold products by influencers?

It is suggested that audiences actually like being sold products by influencers because they are the consumer and producers as they are watching and engaging with the content so they are also engaging with the algorithm which enables influencers to reach out their content to their audio with having the visible product.

7) What representation of beauty is often found on Instagram or other influencer sites?

Beauty on social media such as Instagram have a huge expectation that Women are often portrayed as slim with certain facial features, while men are depicted as muscular and tall. These portrayals not only reinforce gender stereotypes but also contribute to the establishment of unrealistic beauty standards for both genders.

8) What is YOUR opinion on influencers? Are they a positive or negative influence on our society and culture? Why?

My opinion on Influencers is that they can be negative because most of their photos/videos are used with editing such as putting filters, clearing out any imperfections such as skin texture which is considered as normal. This also has a negative impact as teenagers such as young boys and girls will feel insecure and question if they are worth or not. Also , Some influencers may promote products or services that don't align with their genuine values or interests, which can erode trust among their audience. But be careful as some influencers buy their followers in order to make it look like as if there is variety of people following them, but most of the accounts are inactive or mostly bot accounts.