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Online influencers are something that has evolved rapidly, so much so that it has become many people's

full-time jobs. Influencers can be any age, and most of the time there is an online influencer for every age

category and every interest. Online influencers have become so good at making personal relationships

with their followers that it almost seems as though you know them, so you trust them, and that is when it

can sometimes be dangerous. When there is a trustworthy influencer that makes brands want to work with

them more, and when people trust an influencer, sometimes they can almost get tricked by the stuff they are

promoting because sometimes it is not always good.

 If you are an online influencer, it comes with both pros and cons. Being an influencer, you can make tons of money through brand deals, have a flexible schedule, receive free products and exclusive perks, and you don’t have to have any formal qualifications. Some cons it comes with is income can be unstable, limited job security compared to a formal job, online hate and negative comments, and privacy concerns. Being an audience to these also comes with pros and cons some pros being exposed to new products you didn’t know about and also getting codes to get money off from these products. But the cons seem to outweigh the pros. online influencer imapact The cons that come with following and listening to these online influencers are that they are being exposed to harmful products unknowingly, dissemination of misinformation, having unrealistic beauty standards,  comparing yourself and your life to these influencers you idolize, and a lack of regulation and consumer protection.  pros and cons

I believe online influencers can affect society as a whole a lot because a lot of society follows them and their opinions and what they believe in. Because so many people look up to them, this can cause a lot of people to compare themselves to them, whether that is the way they look, how they live their lives, or what they have. As far as the demographic it affects the most, I would have to say it is teenagers. There was a survey in place saying that 67% of teens felt insecure after viewing online influencer content, and 49% admitted that they changed their online behavior to resemble these influencers. There was another study that found that “52% of teenagers felt pressured by the standards promoted by influencers, and 63% acknowledged comparing their lives to theirs and feeling inferior as a result.” And over 70% of teens follow at least three influencers who promote different products weekly.

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 It will affect younger people more because they are on social media more than the older generation.

But it will be interesting to see where this generation of influencers is now, and their followers will be in

30 years. When looking at other research woman do engage more with online influencers than men do. I

think some of the reason is probably due to there being more female online influencers. I also think it could

be because the things women sell can be more easily promoted versus things for men. 

I myself do follow a handful of online influencers because I enjoy their content, and from what I know from

the internet, they seem like a good person. I will say I have never bought anything that has been promoted

through the influencers I follow, but I do know some of my friends have. Especially when their favorite

influencer comes out with their own brand. I do think influencer culture, though, is the most popular amongst

my generation,  if I were to ask my parents their favorite influencer, they would have no idea what I am even

talking about. I think my generation and the ones to come after will have an even more rapid growth in online

influencing. I cannot say I necessarily think it is a good thing, but seeing as how popular it is now, I can’t see it

dying down anytime soon.