The Internet has been in our lives for so long that recent generations starting from the millennial generation can’t imagine living without. But there are some people who navigate these series of tubes and find and find someone with content they really like and say to themselves “Wow! I want to be like this person!” And if that happens to multiple people to one person then we call that person an Influencer. But you may be asking “How did this all start? When did this begin? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” (Okay maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.) So let’s take a dive into the history of Influencers and by extension the Internet as a communication tool.

In 1991, the Internet and the World Wide Web became widely available, leading to the creation of numerous websites dedicated to shared interests. These forums allowed users to seek advice and help from experienced individuals in their field, increasing the availability of information beyond mainstream print media and corporate websites. Dedicated social media platforms emerged from these developments, providing users with the ability to create profiles and connect with others. SixDegrees.com pioneered this concept in 1997. Additionally, websites supporting blogging emerged around the same time, allowing users to publish long-form articles and stories. Since then, forums, social media, and blogging have transformed into integral components of communication, social interaction, business, and journalism. Popular social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Discord, Viber, WeChat, and WhatsApp.

The origins of online influencing can be traced back to the emergence of digital blogs and platforms in the early 2000s. Nevertheless, recent studies demonstrate that Instagram, an application with more than one billion users, harbors the majority of the influencer demographic. These individuals are sometimes referred to as “Instagrammers” or “Instafamous.” A crucial aspect of influencing lies in their association with sponsors. The 2015 debut of Vamp, a company that links influencers with sponsorships, transformed the landscape of influencing.

By the time of Vamps debut, the term “influencer” described digital content creators with a large following, distinctive brand persona, and a patterned relationship with commercial sponsors. These came in various types depending on what social media that the influencer primarily uses. Some people write journals or blogs, some make YouTube or TikTok videos, others post frequently on Instagram or Twitter. The Internet has made fame accessible to and attainable for the general public. And in some case people can rise to fame and do stuff to give back to the community or even their followers. One recent example is MrBeast who gained popularity through challenges and/or giveaways.

So… Allow me to Change Your Mind

I have nothing against those who gain popularity through social media, the internet is one powerful tool, and it is hard to find people who have similar interests in your own backyard, and it is nice that some influencers are using what they must make the world an overall better place to live no matter how many people poke, mock and throw suspicion on.

However, I have some beef with influencers and celebrities whose popularity has gotten so large that their fans turn their passionate fanbase into a toxic cesspool of vulgar and arrogant behavior. One example (In my opinion) is Taylor Swift whose concert movie based on her Eras tour caused her most passionate fans to treat the concert films less like a film and more like a concert, and this type of behavior wouldn’t bat an eye at a concert venue but the overall behavior described took place in theaters where the movie was showing, sacrificing others movie going experience for their own thrills. I have nothing against the singer itself but when the fans stoop to this type of behavior in places other than the venue, I think it would be necessary to bring in some crowd control.

But I am grateful that no one was hurt in this process unlike another example when a giveaway can go wrong and can backfire and cause some bad press as a result. One such example was a Twitch Streamer named Kai Cenat who was giving away 300 Playstation 5’s in New York City when fans who desperately wanted the console rampaged throughout Union Square climbing on top of cars and fighting back authorities as a result. Even when your influence may be miniscule if you entice them with something so desired and expensive for your target demographic, fans will become desperate to get their hands on it and cause a lot of problems as a result.

Let this be a warning to any of those who are willing to follow or become influencers themselves. Don’t let your popularity get to your head and plan reasonably to keep your fans under control so we don’t have incidents like the ones you read above, with great influence comes great responsibility.