Hi GenZ’ers! I hope you’ve had a very Merry Christmas and are now revelling in the no-mans land week which occurs after chrimbo but before New Year rocks up. I love this time because its not actually a holiday but you still get to eat leftover roast potatoes for breakfast and drink Sherry at 11 in the morning (don’t lie- we all do it *nervous laughter*). Anyway, like most of us are guilty of, over the festive period I have spent an unhealthy amount of time with my eyes glued to a screen.
Apparently the best way to celebrate the festive period isn’t par Will Ferrell and “singing loud for all to hear” but rather moaning about family antics on Twitter. Anyway, whilst embarking on the daily drawl of my social feed- I came across an interesting piece- ‘The Cost of Cute’. As it turns out- the impact of influencers on some industries is far bigger than we think. (Be warned- there are some slightly distressing scenes in the below clip but I can vouch for being a dog lover and I made it all the way to the end.)
Aside from the fact that this made me (mentally) cry ALL OF THE TEARS; it certainly highlights an issue which is becoming more and more prominent in society. Do influencers realise the impact which their views are having? Of course; that’s not to say that they are deliberately boycotting certain breeds of dogs. Unfortunately, like most commodities in our society; dogs have become a fashion statement- a trend which will heighten and eventually die down as a new interest spikes; whatever that may be. Nonetheless- this video shows an issue which has numerous implications for a vast majority; not necessarily in the tiny dog industry.
Bloggers as Celebs?
According to Forbes magazine- influencer marketing is set to “explode” in 2017. With the rise of social media sites- particularly photo sharing platforms such as Instagram; this isn’t particularly surprising. Prior to the popularisation of blogging (and in turn ‘everyday’ influencers); it was the celebs we turned to when we wanted someone- or something-to idolise. Whether it was stylish socialites (yes I see you flaunting that Paris Hilton inspired ‘Juicy’ velour getup) or the Hollywood superstars from the big screen- we have and still do look to the people who have “it”. You know what I mean. The incomprehensible “thing” which makes Kim not as annoying and Kanye not a brat but a ‘creative genius’ (?!?! I call bullshit but whatever. 2016 ugh).
Anyway, as bloggers have become more and more prominent is society (Number 1 YouTube Blogger PewDiePie has over 50 million subscribers on the site); the definition of celebrity is becoming less and less defined. Numerous bloggers have lines in retail- Zoella (real name Zoe Sugg) has a highly successful beauty range in Superdrug; and That Pommie Girl (Sarah Ashcroft) recently released a clothing line with online retailer Missguided. The funny thing is- these people are just like you and me. I’m not saying they don’t have talent- I greatly admire the things which a lot of bloggers have achieved through their medium. But the truth is- it could be argued that all you really need to be a successful influencer is a talent for writing and an eye for the trends. Feel free to disagree with me though- use the hashtag #GenerationZ to let me know your take!
Video Credit- @bbcthree
Leave a Reply