Everyone is an Influencer
A sociological take that might just make you think twice when you talk about an influencer (and just a little MCAT review along the way).
When you hear the word “Influencer”, you already know the words that are going to follow. Fake, Inauthentic, Two-Faced. We are quick to judge. But why is that?
To answer that, let’s start with a few important terms (which are also important for the MCAT!). The first of which is social constructionism: the sociological (and philosophical) theory that our knowledge and understanding of the world is not objective reality, but is based upon our interactions with one another, our language, and the context our individual cultures provide. For example, objectively a $100 bill is simply a piece of paper, but in our cultural context it is an item with a lot of value (more than, say, an egg salad sandwich).
How does this apply to our current reality? Social media. Yes, it all comes back to social media. Objectively, people choose what to post, edit it, refine it, and make sure they are portraying themselves exactly how they intend to be perceived. You don’t see their mistakes, and if you do, that too is carefully curated. When you scroll on Instagram, though, that’s rarely the first thing that comes to mind. It’s not that they had a million photos and only posted one; it’s that they look beautiful in that photo and you wish you looked like that. Had money like that. Dressed like that. Without a strong understanding of how reality works and how it is being presented to you, you start to blur the lines between the two.
So, when you blur the line, what happens? You start to believe that the point of social media is to show you everything you don’t have. Where people are thriving and you aren’t.
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This is where the theory of functionalism comes in. This sociological theory is built on the idea that every institution has a function. Manifest functions are the main, intended purpose of a group, organization, or institution. A phenomenal example is a school: the manifest function is to be a center for learning and education, and a latent function (hidden function, essentially) is serving as a daycare for parents and a social space for children. So, what are the manifest and latent functions of social media?
There are many arguments to be made about tech billionaires and keeping you glued to your phone, but that’s not the point of this article. The point is that social media began as a way to stay connected with other people, a digital scrapbook (of sorts) for your life. It allows for easy conversation when you see people, easy catch-ups, and maintaining relationships. The latent functions include social comparison, competition in popularity, and the plethora of other things that have come about.
A latent function that could be explored further is the rise in dramaturgy: the concept that people portray themselves a certain way in order to be perceived by society in a specific way, through impression management. Here we can reference social media again. Many influencers have a front stage, which is what they post and how they act, and a backstage, which is how they are once the cameras turn off. The same is true for actual actors and actresses; Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t actually act like Katniss Everdeen, and Emma Watson isn’t actually Hermione Granger in real life. When the camera stops shooting, they become a different person. Dramaturgy extends to all people, though. Right now I am speaking more informally than I would in a business meeting, and more formally than I would with friends. I, too, am an actress on the stage of life.
When you are navigating social media, or even just life in general, without a conscious thought of the macro-level principles driving the world around you, it is very easy to just get absorbed in it. Literacy in sociological perspectives and theories is incredibly important for taking a step back, realizing what’s happening on a world stage, and seeing how you are a piece fitting into it.
So… Are we fake, inauthentic, and two-faced? Not so quick now, huh?
You are an influencer too; your camera is just the world around you.
