Influencers

I DONT need influencing by anyone...I have a brain

I'm 100% with you. If I see the word influencer, I know immediately that I need read no further.

Sarnia

Chestnut

Casdon

Stanley Tucci has six million followers, he is a food critic and Italy lover - and an engaging personality. I don’t think a lot of of the most popular influencers are malign influences myself, and it is perfectly possible not to watch them if you don’t want to.

Stanley Tucci is also also a highly respected actor who has appeared in too many things to list here. Most recently Conclave and The Devil Wears Prada 2. They are on his Wiki page.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Tucci

perfectly possible not to watch them if you don't want to
That doesn't apply to the thousands who follow today's young influencers. They want to be just like them. They want that image, make-up, hair and clothes. Social media is well on the way to becoming an addiction. Ask any young girls what is the worst thing they could lose and the vast majority would say their phones. Their entire lives are in that device.

I think the majority of young people are just as capable of being discerning as the majority of older people. They aren’t sheep, any more than we are.

Casdon

The highest rated Influencer is Joe Wicks, and the highest Grandfluencer (yes, we have our own category) is Stanley Tucci.

Even I follow Stanley Tucci. Fabulous recipes.

I've nothing against food influencers making money, they're working writing recipes, and I love to attempt new recipes.

Witzend

Elless

What makes me 'feel ill' is the amount of money they accrue. It is not a career and it is horrifying that many children now aspire to be one.

I feel the same.
I’d like to think it’s only the ones who are never going to be much good academically (same as the boys who think they’re going to be hugely paid footballers) and lack the application to train for a good many worthwhile jobs, but I’m probably wrong. The lure of easy money….

My 14 year old GD mentioned earlier in this thread has a friend who aspires to be a WAG, a footballer's wife or girlfriend. Not because they all look like Greek Gods but because they are super rich. Heaven help us!

Elless

What makes me 'feel ill' is the amount of money they accrue. It is not a career and it is horrifying that many children now aspire to be one.

I feel the same.
I’d like to think it’s only the ones who are never going to be much good academically (same as the boys who think they’re going to be hugely paid footballers) and lack the application to train for a good many worthwhile jobs, but I’m probably wrong. The lure of easy money….

Chestnut

Casdon

Stanley Tucci has six million followers, he is a food critic and Italy lover - and an engaging personality. I don’t think a lot of of the most popular influencers are malign influences myself, and it is perfectly possible not to watch them if you don’t want to.

Stanley Tucci is also also a highly respected actor who has appeared in too many things to list here. Most recently Conclave and The Devil Wears Prada 2. They are on his Wiki page.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Tucci

perfectly possible not to watch them if you don't want to
That doesn't apply to the thousands who follow today's young influencers. They want to be just like them. They want that image, make-up, hair and clothes. Social media is well on the way to becoming an addiction. Ask any young girls what is the worst thing they could lose and the vast majority would say their phones. Their entire lives are in that device.

Chestnut

Casdon

Stanley Tucci has six million followers, he is a food critic and Italy lover - and an engaging personality. I don’t think a lot of of the most popular influencers are malign influences myself, and it is perfectly possible not to watch them if you don’t want to.

Stanley Tucci is also also a highly respected actor who has appeared in too many things to list here. Most recently Conclave and The Devil Wears Prada 2. They are on his Wiki page.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Tucci

He’s also very good looking IMO

Casdon

Stanley Tucci has six million followers, he is a food critic and Italy lover - and an engaging personality. I don’t think a lot of of the most popular influencers are malign influences myself, and it is perfectly possible not to watch them if you don’t want to.

Stanley Tucci is also also a highly respected actor who has appeared in too many things to list here. Most recently Conclave and The Devil Wears Prada 2. They are on his Wiki page.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Tucci

TheWeirdoAgain60

I totally get what you're saying!

I can't stand them, or the word " influencer "!

I can never understand what they actually do, other than smother everyone on social media with their constant, never-ending posts!

They influence others, hence their title. They seem to think they have a lot of important information to impart. They don't but worryingly they have a lot of sway on social media. We had a right game with my 14 year old GD who has the traditional British pear shaped figure. An influencer she was watching told her followers, mostly impressionable young girls, that when wearing leggings or tights you had to have a gap between the inside of the tops of your legs, effectively that you could see through! It's ludicrous to most of us but my GD took it as gospel and we had some difficult weeks getting her to eat. I think these people surfaced during Covid when they had captive audiences stuck at home and it has gone from there.

Stanley Tucci has six million followers, he is a food critic and Italy lover - and an engaging personality. I don’t think a lot of of the most popular influencers are malign influences myself, and it is perfectly possible not to watch them if you don’t want to.

I totally get what you're saying!

I can't stand them, or the word " influencer "!

I can never understand what they actually do, other than smother everyone on social media with their constant, never-ending posts!

I had to google who Stanley Tucci is. I have never heard or read anything about him.

I get all my information on influencers from the news media. For every mention of Jo Wicks, yes, I do know who he is, there are mentions, and pictures and video of at least a dozen pneumatic blondes displaying their inflated assets in a way that will be a balm to the heart 'manhood' of Andrew Tate and his followers and selling products and information to lead young girls to think that this presentation of beauty is what they should aspire to.

The highest rated Influencer is Joe Wicks, and the highest Grandfluencer (yes, we have our own category) is Stanley Tucci.

Graphite

It’s only another word for someone pushing a product or a lifestyle, no different to advertising.

Celebrities have long been used to push products on TV. Influencing is just the social media equivalent.

What’s the difference between George Clooney advertising Nespresso or a long list of celebrities advertising for M&S?

I think there’s a certain amount of egalitarianism in social media influencing that’s to be applauded. A person can build a following (and a fortune) from nothing rather than having to be famous to start with.

Many of these influencers are aiming to influence young people for good or ill, and unfortunately they are doing more harm than good.

Influencers like Andrew Tate drive the manosphere and we read daily about the bad effect this is having on boys and young men, fuelling a tide of misogyny which puts women and especially girls at risk.

Many of female influencers pedal a distorted form of femininity based on impossible and unpleasant standards of 'beauty' often based on surgical treatments that ends up with them looking like cheap plastic dolls and the kind of women the manosphere consider most attractive.

Obviously there are many other influencers out there helping people uietly and informing them but they do not get the news coverage.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Ah right Petra I see now how optics and product placement are crucial. 😁

However I’m a newbie to my new rôle, and as this is I GN can fully appreciate how other supermarket brands might get annoyed if I put out totally cost zero adverts for their rival! 😂

Very good 😂.
Incase you wish to pursue this new business venture, look at the placement and lighting on this influencers video.

www.facebook.com/reel/2873941662937168

FGT

I think it’s the insidiousness that can be creepy. There are influencers trying to sell facial beauty products to toddlers and other snake oil products. Others are giving out health advice without scientific backing.

There’s the likes of Clavicular, who encourages ‘looksmaxxing’ by smashing one’s facial bones with a hammer, or others who promote suicide to their audience.

It’s not all advertising brands of coffee.

Another person submitting advertisement and opinions.

RosiesMawagain

If I ignore them, will they just go away?

I’d like to think I am my own person and any «influence» is more likely to have the opposite effect.

I agree.

Graphite

It’s only another word for someone pushing a product or a lifestyle, no different to advertising.

Celebrities have long been used to push products on TV. Influencing is just the social media equivalent.

What’s the difference between George Clooney advertising Nespresso or a long list of celebrities advertising for M&S?

I think there’s a certain amount of egalitarianism in social media influencing that’s to be applauded. A person can build a following (and a fortune) from nothing rather than having to be famous to start with.

I agree with that.

As petra says, there is a lot more to influencing than posting a photo. They have to work out market segmentation, then get the various demographics to engage with them on an ongoing basis, so they have to be likeable and make different groups feel part of their 'tribe'. Photography is another skill, as are video and scriptwriting. They need to keep up with trends and know what is about to come into fashion in whatever market they operate in, and promote it skilfully and effectively.

I don't follow any - oh, I do subscribe (free) to Nick Lewis on YouTube. He talks about home decor that is realistic and achievable, and I like his sense of humour. I don't think I've bought anything as a result, however, as (a) he's Canadian, and both styles of house and available outlets vary between there and the UK, (b) I have my own style, (c) I'm old enough to be his mother, and (d) I'm not decorating anywhere, and don't watch with a view to being influenced, although I'm sure a few of his ideas have permeated my brain. I just enjoy his videos and as they're only about 15 minutes long I sometimes put one on if I've got a tiny bit of time to kill and it's not worth starting anything more productive.

On FB I like looking at vegetarian recipes being cooked, and they tend to promote ingredients such as Nooch (nutritional yeast) or new ranges of pans or other cookware. I am aware that they are promotions, and decide whether to get things or not. Usually not, as I don't replace things like pans unless it's necessary. I'm on my second set in over 40 years of marriage. I might try a new ingredient if I like the look of it, but I might just as easily be influenced by a TV ad, a friend recommending it, a special offer in Sainsbury's. What's the difference?

It's the same with people buying make-up or phones. If you're interested and click through you see more of the same, but not if you don't. There is no point in anyone pushing make-up at me, as I don't buy or wear it (or very little). I'd rather have ads targeted at what I actually want as, say, the ones on TV with dancing builders singing about diarrhoea, but they are harder to avoid if you want to watch live TV.

I don't think the new usage of the word 'haul' is anything sinister or greedy. It's a more modern way of saying 'purchases' - 'Look at what I bought today' sort of thing. Nobody needs to feel they have to buy all of it - young people are savvy, and are fully aware that it's a sales pitch.

More insidious (to me) is the way 'beach bodies' and the like are promoted, so normal shaped girls can feel inadequate. To be fair, though, Jackie magazine did the same in the 70s, and women's magazines always had diets and calorie counted recipes. I haven't seen the Manosphere ones, but wish they weren't influencing young men and boys.

Ah right Petra I see now how optics and product placement are crucial. 😁

However I’m a newbie to my new rôle, and as this is I GN can fully appreciate how other supermarket brands might get annoyed if I put out totally cost zero adverts for their rival! 😂

The other word I hate, connected to influencers is 'Haul'. I once looked on You Tube at an influencer with her 'haul' of goods; encouraging others to get to Pandora immediately for the latest charms. She had boxes and boxes of new bracelets (at least 6) full of the new charms. The commentary ran: this one reminds me of mum, this one my sister, this one my house, this is my favourite colour, oh and this one if for my pet etc. There was thousands of pounds worth of jewellery - and she was encouraging her followers not to get one bracelet but a 'haul'. It made me feel quite ill thinking of the girls who would spend much more than they could possibly afford. She then opened drawers in her bedroom to show more bracelets, full of charms.I'm assuming her 'haul' was sponsored in some way, I never want to see this sort of influencer ever again. Promoting a product is one thing, this was just plain greed.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Hey okay I’ll start!
This just now is my meal for one.

Steak fried onions and veg.
Any likes? 😂

Gosh that was exhausting …. 😁

You havnt advertised anything on the plate.
Advertising = likes = money.
You havnt staged the photo very well. It should view from above with appropriate lighting to bring out the food on the plate.
The placing and grouping of the food is important.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Hey okay I’ll start!
This just now is my meal for one.

Steak fried onions and veg.
Any likes? 😂

Gosh that was exhausting …. 😁

😋