Election Year or Fear!

[ramAnag]

I would say there is a distinction between people who are explaining a concept, showing how something is done, providing information etc. who are I'd say are less influencer and more informer which are generally very useful and the legions of vacuous style guru's, or lifestyle gurus who are selling some product, or lifestyle etc. which are inherently pathetic and in some cases downright dangerous.

Agree completely with that. Influencers are, at best, extremely shallow and at worst, extremely sinister.

I had to seek online advice yesterday to change the battery in a car key…no ‘influencing’ just an excellent and well presented demonstration and an example of the internet at its most useful.

[Ram Pant]

Im too old too, its all about followers isnt it which i guess enables them to get sponsorship and advertising revenue.

Mostly it seems to be about looking good and going on holiday or wearing nice clothes.

Its all about posting content online, its just a step up though from those who use Facebook and Instagram to post to show what a great life they have, but most likely in reality you have a **** life.

If life is so great there is no need to post to convince others what a perfect existence you lead. One of my wife's best friends is always posting about how perfect her life is and what a wonderful husband she has, but in reality she is hates him and is just with him for the financial stability and lifestyle.

Accounts on FB, Youtube, Insta etc. Get followers, post crap up daily, have your followers click on the link to see what rubbish you've posted today, gain advertising revenue and away you go. The lifestyle you want without ever having to work.

[Geoff Parkstone]

No no value to wider society at all then. Just vacuous.

As Betjeman would say of Slough "Come friendly bombs.."

[SithHappens]

My youngest daughter has reached 'influencer' status on the platform she uses, her subject being a niche area of aerospace and aimed mainly but not exclusively at females, who are of relevance to the 'niche' more than males. She chooses not to 'monetise' her thread (or whatever its called) at present as that's not what she set it up for, but the platform she uses certainly is, through adverts that precede and interrupt her posts. I see it as a worthwhile, and slightly noble, activity in her case, and I'm aware that its had a positive impact on the lives of a number (a few) of her followers.

As for me, I've used 'influencers' quite a lot, in the areas of car purchase, automotive repair techniques and holiday destinations to name just a few, and if they ask me to like/ subscribe/ follow/ whatever their posts, pages or channels, presumably as a way of monetising their 'content' I do so, they've helped me at no charge to me so why shouldn't I return the favour, although I'm never 'influenced' as such, just looking for answers. These are 'normal' people although I do get vintage car restoration tips off a couple of 'good ol boys' who would give some on here the collywobbles just based on the merest hint they they are redneck republicans

Yes there are some folk making money out of the weaknesses of the impressionable, and more than a few of the 'look at my perfect life' cohort, but as with most activities its the outer edges of the activity that these folk inhabit, just IMO

I use YouTube for instructional videos on how to do stuff and its been useful.

I get that there are some positives about using online material, but its the word influence that concerns me. A friend of mine had a 13 yo daughter who her mum is concerned has an eating disorder, her daughter is getting her nutritional advice from "influencers' and she is being told 400 calories is the optimum daily intake.

Add to that her daughter is now old enough to exclude her parents from medical appointments and the Dr's cannot discuss anything with them is ridiculous. She's a child. Unless there is some concerns over her home situation parents should 100% be involved in children's medical affairs.

[SithHappens]

Agree completely with that. Influencers are, at best, extremely shallow and at worst, extremely sinister.

I had to seek online advice yesterday to change the battery in a car key…no ‘influencing’ just an excellent and well presented demonstration and an example of the internet at its most useful.

The ones that do my head in are those that take about 10 minutes to show something that they could show in 30 seconds

[Ram Pant]

The ones that do my head in are those that take about 10 minutes to show something that they could show in 30 seconds

They are not as bad as the ones that take half an hour to get to what they could have told you in 30 seconds...

[ramAnag]

In the meantime, see the war is going well.
So far a soon to be 80 year old extremist, megalomaniac christian (with the smallest of ‘c’s) has orchestrated the assassination of an extremist fundamentalist 86 year old Islamist (almost immediately replaced by his son).
Thousands have died, millions of $ that could have been spent on little things like curing cancer, providing cleaner energy, better health care, flood defences and ending the homeless crisis has been wasted and ordinary people are paying the price via either the cost of living or becoming refugees.
Duckin’ brilliant, what a wonderful world! Give the young ones a chance because these angry old men have really screwed up.

[Geoff Parkstone]

In the meantime, see the war is going well.
So far a soon to be 80 year old extremist, megalomaniac christian (with the smallest of ‘c’s) has orchestrated the assassination of an extremist fundamentalist 86 year old Islamist (almost immediately replaced by his son).
Thousands have died, millions of $ that could have been spent on little things like curing cancer, providing cleaner energy, better health care, flood defences and ending the homeless crisis has been wasted and ordinary people are paying the price via either the cost of living or becoming refugees.
Duckin’ brilliant, what a wonderful world! Give the young ones a chance because these angry old men have really screwed up.

You're talking our generation here rA so we must all be culpable. As a generation we are lucky to have avoided a major conflict in our lifetime calling on us to sacrifice - probably one of the few generations to have had that fortune in the last 200 years. Our children may not be so lucky, our grandchildren definitely wont be.

Incidentally I'd exchange a small i to islamist in the same way as the small c on christian as I dont see the Ayatollah as having espoused many of the more peaceful muslim values as far as I can understand them...

[ramAnag]

You're talking our generation here rA so we must all be culpable. As a generation we are lucky to have avoided a major conflict in our lifetime calling on us to sacrifice - probably one of the few generations to have had that fortune in the last 200 years. Our children may not be so lucky, our grandchildren definitely wont be.

Incidentally I'd exchange a small i to islamist in the same way as the small c on christian as I dont see the Ayatollah as having espoused many of the more peaceful muslim values as far as I can understand them...

That’s why I referred to him as Islamist rather than Muslim, GP. I’ve no time for extremists of any persuasion, be they Islamists or MAGA supporters - who would probably describe themselves as Christian - but I do object to those who seek to tar all Muslims with the same brush.

Personally I don’t feel at all culpable for the behaviour of the elderly extremists we speak of, but I do feel hugely frustrated by a world which repeatedly allows itself to be led into self destruct mode by extremist individuals or regimes be they MAGA, Islamist or Russian.

[Ram Pant]

In the meantime, see the war is going well.
So far a soon to be 80 year old extremist, megalomaniac christian (with the smallest of ?c?s) has orchestrated the assassination of an extremist fundamentalist 86 year old Islamist (almost immediately replaced by his son).
Thousands have died, millions of $ that could have been spent on little things like curing cancer, providing cleaner energy, better health care, flood defences and ending the homeless crisis has been wasted and ordinary people are paying the price via either the cost of living or becoming refugees.
Duckin? brilliant, what a wonderful world! Give the young ones a chance because these angry old men have really screwed up.

The bit in bold stimulated my brain and caused me to smile. I thought, for a split second that you were referring to a wang. I then thought of a 13 year old girl apparently/allegedly biting said mysogynistic appendage and hoping she'd drawn blood. Does that make me a horrible person?