By Alyssa Sweetman
Image by Alex Hamer. A boy with headphones on at a key board intensely playing a video game.
Influencers and culture shapers have existed since the dawn of humanity, but before the widespread accessibility of the internet, it was limited to people with means, a network, or the limited chance offered by a few professions (e.g. celebrities, politicians, those with extraordinary wealth).
For those of us who grew up in the early days of the internet, our experience was vastly different. We searched for obscure blogs, content, and connected with people across hyper-specific and niche forums/chat rooms. Today, young people have a completely different experience; they frequent a handful of apps and websites, consuming content that's optimized to compete for their attention. This content shows them highly curated homes, relationships, and vacations. They develop strong emotional connections to strangers on the internet, many of whom they have never had a two-way interaction with. These parasocial relationships, combined with the notion that seemingly anybody can become famous or wealthy through sharing content on the internet, have hyper-commodified daily life.
Today’s influencers do more than recommend products or lifestyles, they influence what people believe in, how they act, where they give their money, and even directly or indirectly wield their audiences like citizen armies.
Though many are notorious, cue PewDiePie (who has been accused of being a White Nationalist), Joe Rogan (the most listened-to podcast host in the world and is considered by many to produce content that serves as an alt-right gateway), and Andrew Tate, (perhaps one of the most infamous influencers, is suspected of earning over $5 million a year through his Hustle University program and currently is facing a human trafficking charge), influencers have also shown to be an incredible force for good. For example, Twitch streamers raised over $310 million for nonprofits globally. It’s much harder to get a picture of exactly how much influencers have raised for nonprofits across all of the social media services, crowdfunding sites and through product sales, but I’d wager it’s well over $1.5 billion.
While corporate philanthropy often entails extensive initiatives guided by marketing and public relations strategies, influencers' philanthropic efforts might seem more individualistic and grassroots, directly engaging with their audience and leveraging their authenticity. However, just like in some corporate philanthropy, this approach can be part of influencers' branding strategies. Like greenwashing, some influencers use philanthropy to project an image that can serve to protect them from criticism and accountability from their fans.
One of the most well-known philanthropic influencers is none other than MrBeast. Jimmy Donaldson's aspiration was simple – he dropped out of college after two weeks, telling his mother, "I'd rather be poor than do anything besides YouTube." After experimenting with various trends on YouTube, his gimmicks and philanthropy stunt videos began to gain traction. Within almost five years, he reached one million subscribers; today, he boasts an impressive 173 million subscribers. In December 2018, MrBeast earned the title of "YouTube’s biggest philanthropist."
Jimmy's extensively documented journey portrays an individual who held an obsessive desire to create viral YouTube content from a young age. Many of his supporters vehemently defend him, arguing that his charitable actions overshadow any criticism. However, those who point out that Jimmy strategically optimizes for views, thereby creating a form of "inspiration porn" and positioning himself as a savior, often face severe backlash, including death threats, doxxing, and harassment.
And, like every industry, the influencer economy is comprised of all kinds of people. Hank Green and John Green, lovingly referred to as "The Green Brothers," focus on creating educational content, raising funds for health-related charities, and, most recently, engaging in a public battle with Johnson & Johnson to compel them to share the license for a tuberculosis vaccine. Benjamin Lupo, better known as DrLupo, has raised over $13 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and is known for his welcoming live streams – even making statements of support and uplifting marginalized creators, something that's rarely done by creators similar to him. Tanya “Cypheroftyr'' DePass uses her platform to encourage better representation of historically excluded groups within the gaming and tabletop industries. Popular Trans TikToker Mercury Suzanne Stardust raised $2.25 million for a trans healthcare nonprofit within 24 hours. It wouldn’t take much to find other examples of influencers who are incredible role models and use their platform responsibly.
We all want our children to be inspired and do good things for the world, and social media, GOFundMe’s and other platforms have a tremendous capacity for good. However, it is still worth remembering the importance of being thoughtful and savvy media consumers–even, or maybe especially, when the intentions are good. Teaching our children about internet safety goes beyond the basic "don’t believe everything on the internet" and avoiding predators or potential kidnappers. It's crucial to engage with our children about their favorite subjects, particularly the influencers they admire and aim to emulate.
Tips for navigating conversations about influencers with young people:
Be Curious: Encourage discussions about the content they consume and the influencers they admire by asking questions. Refrain from making judgments and instead ask more questions if you have concerns. Utilizing this approach is an effective way to help others understand your perspective without feeling dismissed by your reaction.
Explain Parasocial Relationships: Influencers, whether intentionally or not, excel in establishing parasocial relationships with their followers. They employ language like "family," "community," and other endearing terms for their fan base. They invite their fans into their lives or engage them in conversations (such as when MrBeast asks for help from his fans).
Dig into Motivations: There's often a tendency to accept people at face value and believe what they say. Encourage the young individuals in your life to critically examine the potential motivations behind the actions of their favorite influencers.
At the end of the day, our desire remains to be recognized for our good deeds and to engage with like-minded individuals. The difference is that now, we're forming connections through online comment sections, where many hopeful influencers are motivated to transform us into devoted supporters rather than agents for real social change.
Alyssa Sweetman
Alyssa is the Director of Strategy at Player 2, an agency that develops comprehensive strategies for companies using gaming and esports, and the former Global Head of Social Impact at Twitch. She is a storyteller, community advocate, and a thought leader in the social impact space. Her work with charities, influencer fundraising, mental health advocacy, and diversity has earned her a place in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.