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Why youths desire to be social media influencers
What will these youths do with their social media fame or influencer skill if one day a career in influencing no longer exists and falls into a void?
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Today, it has become quite the norm for people with large followings on social media platforms to use their personal influence to create or promote certain brands and trends in society. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he future of the workforce is constantly changing, the oldest millennials are in their 30s, and a new generation is entering the job market, Generation Z. Generation Z is the largest consumer cohort globally. Studies show that more than half of youths nowadays would consider a career in social media or online. It’s hardly a phenomenon for celebrities to exert their influence on social trends.
Today, it has become quite the norm for people with large followings on social media platforms to use their personal influence to create or promote certain brands and trends in society. Strong fan-based endorsement is a growing business. I am intrigued to understand how the younger generations set their goals and career aspirations with the strong presence of social media influencers in their lives.
Where did it start and why? The obvious answer is the growing number of youths who are successful as social media influencers. Second, the perception of easy money and a dream job lures lots of youngsters into trying to become “social media famous”. YouTubers with more than 1 million viewers for each video can earn between US$1 million and $2 million annually. This generation has never known a life without social media, watching influencers and adults in their life post content online that inspire trends or social changes.
Growing mobility and the digital era have resulted in a decline in some job sectors, for instance, auditors and machinery operators, but an increase in others, such as digital marketing, data analytics, vlogging, etc. Some of these “career options”, such as vlogging, may have been considered a hobby in the past.
Now, such career alternatives like a social media influencer would be at odds with what most parents want for their children, with conventional jobs still popular among elders such as lawyer, doctor and accountant. Even now, most parents do not understand the role of a social media influencer and are unaware that this is a lucrative career option and question the career expectancy of an influencer.
Very few jobs are lifetime careers these days. The career lifespan of social media influencers is still unknown territory. Will we meet people in a decade’s time who will share their success story as a YouTuber or an influencer and continue to be one?
Trends and times quickly change. The key success factors for an influencer are a huge online presence and followers who can relate to them. The constant pressure to create unique content for an audience with a bottomless appetite and the lack of breaks for fear of losing momentum are some of the blunt truths.
