How real is the internet? Based on what they see online, real people are being influenced on their everyday choices. Influencers are people -and their pets– who tend to be passionate about a subject, and whose posts inspire a lifestyle or promote a product, often with a brand sponsorship.
This new form of word-of-mouth product placement is profitable – as is evidenced in its market growth. The impact of the influencer on purchases and lifestyle activities varies from one platform to another, but the overall effect is high!
Influencers have blogged about their social responsibilities and discussed the influencer’s impact on teens and tweens. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic sent the majority of the world into lockdown, and influencer posts swayed followers.
A 2020 report by Piper Sandler on American teens indicated a high use of social networking platforms with influencer presence. This report noted that teens are swayed more by influencers than celebrities, and that school-age children now consider being a YouTuber a career choice.
Questions
- Do you consider tweens and teens able to think critically with respect to influencers?
- As educators, are we teaching our students to understand the power of the social media influencer?
Action
- Educator Matthew (Matt) J. Kushin developed a lesson plan to illustrate the impact of social media influencers. I invite you to read his ideas, and to share your opinions about the responsibilities of the educator and the parent in teaching children how to be aware of promoted posts.
Sources
Barnhart, B. (2021, February 25). The 65 influencer marketing statistics every marketer needs to know. Mediakix. https://mediakix.com/influencer-marketing-resources/influencer-marketing-statistics/#campaigns
B, B. (2019, January 21). How much responsibility do influencers have for what they post [web log]. https://alittlebrittoffun.com/influencer-responsibility/
Influencer marketing stats: 100 Influencer marketing statistics for 2021. Influencer Marketing Hub. (2021, February 24). https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-statistics/
Kushin, M. (2019, November 8). A quick, interactive activity for introducing the concept of digital Influencers. Social Media Syllabus. https://mattkushin.com/2018/03/19/digital-influencers-easy-classroom-activity/
LilBubome. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.facebook.com/LilBubome-1680147055545516/
Marketingcharts.com. (2020). US teens’ favorite social platforms. https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2021/02/pipersandler-teen-favorite-networks.png
Pham, B. (2021, March 5). What is the social responsibility of social media influencers? free times. https://www.postandcourier.com/free-times/food/what-is-the-social-responsibility-of-social-media-influencers/article_77175896-7ab6-11eb-9740-3ffb16469284.html
Piper Sandler. (2020). (rep.). Taking stock with teens. Retrieved from http://www.pipersandler.com/private/pdf/TSWTs_Fall_2020_Full_Report.pdf
Snape, C. (2020, September 11). Social responsibilities for digital influencers [web log]. https://www.adventure-passport.com/home/2018/9/11/social-responsibilities-for-digital-influencers
Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly. episode. The wizarding world of influencer marketing. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-70-under-the-influence/clip/15820067-s6e13-archive-the-wizarding-world-influencer-marketing
