If You're a Public Figure on Social Media, It doesn't Mean You're an Influencer

Social media now plays a significant role in our lives. It has given the chance to so many people worldwide to share their stories and make their voices heard. It became an integral part of the 21st century and it comes hand in hand with everything we do and so many professions depend on social media to expand. In particular, Entrepreneurial projects depend now on launching their services through social media in order to better engage with their audience. Now, you can find hundreds if not thousands of applications to use for everything in our daily life. Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have made so many people famous for what they do. You can find celebrities, amateur singers, beauty bloggers, fitness bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, food bloggers, and the list goes on and on.   

However, as many people are using them to share their ideas and expertise into some fields like fitness, cooking, positivity, etc. This gave others the chance to use the term 'influencer' even if what they do has nothing to do with having a positive influence. Someone once said and I quote ''Some people without Instagram would be nothing'' and that's completely true. Some people's lives now depend on them being active on social media or they might get into depression because they will lose some sort of sense of the value of their lives and it can cause so many issues later on.

You don't have to be able to speak about everything and anything to become an influencer. You don't have to follow the (trend). It is more about knowing how to speak and what to say. It is more about sticking to your own values and try to help others remembering theirs. Being an influencer isn't about having a high number of followers or uploading pictures or stories 24/7, in fact, being an influencer is about bringing positivity and happiness to other people's day. I have noticed the increasing number of people who call themselves ''influencers'' in the Libyan sphere and they don't necessarily represent the meaning of this term. I am sure as so many people are reading this, many names are popping up in the back of their minds and it is now a problem. 

I think people must understand that talking about everything or being famous on social media doesn't necessarily mean that you have the ''green light'' to call yourself an influencer. Influencers must advocate for positivity and what they are passionate about. If anyone is using this term, they must review themselves and clearly think before saying anything out in public because it can have serious consequences. The outcome can have negative impacts on both sides. I hope current public figures think twice before referring to themselves as influencers because it can save them plenty.