When we were young and someone asked us what would we like to be when we grew up, what were the common answers? Engineer? Doctor? Pilot?
My 12-year-old cousin wants to be an Instagram influencer. When I asked him what it means to be one, he said it's the people who have big mansions and have expensive cars, go to fancy parties, wear great clothes, etc.
When my cousin was describing it, it seemed a little odd to me, but when I thought of it, it made sense in a way that it didn't make any sense.
Ok, let me explain. When you describe a profession, say for instance a doctor, you say a doctor is someone who heals not someone who dresses up in white and has weird handwriting. I mean to say that you describe a profession by its importance, not by the quirks associated with it.
Let's try that with an influencer. Someone who influences people. Sounds a little redundant.
Let's try again. Can we say an influencer is someone who convinces people? He/she convinces people that there is something wrong with the way they are doing things and living life and they should follow what the influencer is doing to do better at life. Like a training manual.
Then there's that thing about training manuals right? You see them but you don't read them or follow them. Quite similar is the case with the influencers.
People are enticed when they see them but they don't really get that life is not just an Instagram post.
The other day I went to the park. I don't usually go and the last time I went the park was full of kids playing differently.
This time around though, there were kids with DSLRs and their phones taking pictures and shooting videos hoping to get viral and bathe in the sea of virtual fame.
I don't know whether it's good or bad, but one thing is for sure, these kids don't know that there's more to life than Instagram or Facebook and that makes me very sad because in a few years there’s going to be an army of influencers who will not have anyone to influence.
