Influencers

I like to call them influenzas, which fits your plague comment.

I think it’s a creepy term, why would I want to be influenced by a random person?

I hate that word too - these so-called influencers certainly cannot , will not, and shall not influence me.

I suppose there have always been influencers - the royals and wealthy people then stars, models, the favoured girl or boy at school....

Now people are making a living out of it though.

It’s only another word for someone pushing a product or a lifestyle, no different to advertising.

Celebrities have long been used to push products on TV. Influencing is just the social media equivalent.

What’s the difference between George Clooney advertising Nespresso or a long list of celebrities advertising for M&S?

I think there’s a certain amount of egalitarianism in social media influencing that’s to be applauded. A person can build a following (and a fortune) from nothing rather than having to be famous to start with.

“The online practices of influencers are now specifically regulated in France since a new legal framework has been set up with the law of 9 June 2023, amended on 6 November 2024 (the “Law”). The Law aims at regulating commercial influence practices in various sectors, including the health sector, and non-compliance with its requirements may entail criminal sanctions. It is the first time such practices have been regulated in the EU, and that may inspire other jurisdictions to adopt a similar framework in a near future”.
I only learned about this yesterday….