Many people have a favorite go-to social media influencer, whether it’s a personality on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. There’s always that one person that we naturally go to when looking for an escape from reality. (For me, personally, it’s Cody Ko and Noel Miller, but that’s beside the point.) These influencers usually have a pretty big following, totaling anywhere from 500k followers to 10 million followers. The question is: with their extensive followings, should all influencers be expected to use their platforms to educate the masses and share their stances in hyperpolarized times? Here, I present to you reasons why it should and shouldn’t be influencers’ responsibility to share their stances with and educate their followers.
The argument for why It should be their responsibility
Now, one could argue that “with great power comes great responsibility,” and because of that, these influencers have the responsibility to educate their followers on what’s going on in the world. These topics can range from national topics like domestic violence to more international news like the Israel-Hamas conflict. If more people bring awareness to what’s going on, then change is more likely to be enacted solely through the total number of people involved. This argument is particularly strong when it comes to influencers who share their opinions regarding world events all the time.
The argument for why It shouldn’t be their responsibility
This argument holds strong when it’s applied to influencers who don’t make it their entire brand to comment on political events. The whole “with great power comes great responsibility” still applies, just in a different way. Certain people aren’t qualified to be giving their opinions, and they know that. They also know that a lot of people look up to them and may be influenced by their opinions. It makes sense to stay quiet on a topic that you are not totally educated on because it could mislead people to support something blindly.
I go on social media to forget about everything that’s wrong with the world. I understand that I have the privilege to do so, and I am grateful for that privilege. I know that a lot of people in the world don’t have that privilege. However, sometimes we all need a break. With every single news article heading presenting some sort of impending doom recently, a break may be more necessary than ever.
so what’s the verdict?
I believe that both arguments hold equal weight. There really is no correct answer. However, I do think one thing that holds true no matter what is that you shouldn’t be getting all of your information from social media platforms, especially not from influencers. Most influencers are not experts, but there are plenty of actual experts out there to educate you on important topics. With all this being said, it’s important to do your own research, comb through a variety of sources (recognizing each of their individual biases), and form your own opinions based on what you’ve learned.
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