Power of Influence: How Do Influencers Shape Our Minds and Values?!
In the realm of social media, role models are no
longer confined to the teacher in the classroom, the scholar in the mosque, or
the intellectual on his platform. Influencers—regardless of their age,
profession, or education—can now become role models crossing borders, or
adventurers leading their audiences into triviality or even self-destruction.
It is a new era where the line between
advice and marketing, inspiration and exploitation, real role models and
algorithm-crafted images, has blurred.
Digital Role Models… The Power of “No
Authority”
Modern studies, such as the Digital 2024
Global Overview Report, indicate that over 60% of Arab youth derive their
values and ideas about success and happiness from social media platforms.
Parental authority or traditional guidance no longer dominates; instead, the
image of an influencer in a short TikTok video can reshape collective
awareness. Here lies the danger of “no authority”—a role model without
oversight, an influencer without qualifications, yet possessing millions of
followers.
Between the Example
and the Temptation
An influencer who shares their struggle in
studies or success in building a small project may inspire thousands of youth
to follow in their footsteps. Conversely, another influencer may reduce “the
good life” to a luxury car, an expensive bag, or a lifestyle built on display,
driving their audience toward overconsumption and constant feelings of
inadequacy. A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical
Psychology (2018) showed that excessive Instagram use is linked to higher
anxiety and depression due to constant comparison with the “fabricated ideal”
created by influencers.
The Hidden Role
Model: Influencers as Family Substitutes
In societies with widening generational
communication gaps, adolescents often turn to influencers as “friends” and
“mentors.” Here, the influencer becomes a hidden role model: setting language,
clothing styles, even ways of thinking. This led communication researcher danah
boyd to remark: “Influencers have become akin to what teachers or mentors once
did, but without any training or social responsibility.”
Between Digital
Education and the Spread of Triviality
An influencer can be a constructive role
model—teaching a new language, promoting exercise, encouraging charitable
work—but can also be a vehicle for triviality: empty challenges, suggestive
content, or promoting superficiality under the guise of freedom. Paradoxically,
algorithms reward the latter more because it generates immediate engagement.
A 2018 MIT study on false news showed that
“sensationalized and exaggerated” content spreads 70% faster than sober
content—a principle that applies equally to influencers.
The Economy of
Influence: When Role Models Become Commodities
Role models are no longer merely moral
values but commodities. Global companies allocate billions of dollars to
influencer marketing. According to the Influencer Marketing Hub (2023),
the influencer marketing market exceeded $21 billion, turning influencers from
individual inspirers into advertising “faces,” able to sell any product, even
harmful ones, as long as the reward is attractive.
Psychological and
Social Risks
Research by the American Psychological
Association warns that young people following influencers portraying
idealized beauty or success are more prone to eating disorders and body image
issues. Here, the influencer becomes a “silent risk”; they may not intend harm,
but they plant seeds of destructive comparison in the minds of followers.
When Influencers
Become Agents of Positive Change
The picture is not entirely bleak. Some
influencers have made a real difference: an Arab youth documenting his journey
losing 40 kilograms through exercise inspires thousands to adopt a healthy
lifestyle; another uses her platform to raise awareness about breast cancer. A Harvard
Business Review study (2021) found that influencers who balance
authenticity with credibility achieve the most sustainable impact, compared to
those focused solely on display.
From Individual Role
Models to Social Responsibility
An influencer is not an ordinary individual
but a “mobile institution.” Every video can change a young person’s life; every
word can affect the awareness of hundreds. This highlights the need for an
ethical framework: a charter holding influencers socially accountable, just as
journalists bear editorial responsibility. Some countries, like Germany, have
begun imposing strict rules for influencer advertising to prevent exploitation
without disclosure.
The Role of Family
and Institutions
Digital role models cannot be countered
through banning; they must be mitigated through resilience. Families who engage
their children create a balance against the allure of influencers. Schools and
universities must teach “digital media literacy” so youth can distinguish
between inspiring and fake role models, aligning knowledge, religion, and
values to build fortified awareness.
Between Hope and
Danger
Influencers reflect our era: its ambitions
and superficialities, its dreams and fragilities. They can be candles lighting
the way for youth—or fires burning their awareness. The choice, as a society,
as families, and as institutions, is ours: to steer them toward constructive
role models, or let them drift aimlessly in the sea of algorithms.
A role model is not measured by millions of
followers but by the ability to instill lasting values. A true influencer
understands that their audience is not just a number, but a future that trusts
their words.
Read Also:
- 7 Actionable Tips to Shield Teens from Social Media Dangers
- Parental Model Challenges in the Age of Social Media
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