Influencers, as inferred by their name, want to influence their audience to do one thing or another. This can encompass a wide variety of things, such as buying a product, listening to a song or streaming a TV show. However, once these individuals gain a large following, they can influence their audience to do much more groundbreaking things, such as attend a protest, sign a petition or vote in an election. This year in particular, with the 2020 presidential election in full swing, influencers took matters into their own hands by talking politics with their followers in the weeks leading up to election day.
The ways in which these influencers are encouraging their audiences are plentiful. These methods include posting informative graphics, hosting Q&A sessions regarding politics, conducting interviews with politicians in podcasts and YouTube videos, and live-tweeting important events regarding the election. Methods such as these will reach a large audience via social media and have the potential to change minds, which is the intention of the influencers who are engaging in these behaviors.
Influencers on both sides of the political spectrum are getting involved. For liberals and left-wing influencers, some who have been on the frontlines include Meghan Rienks and Joshua Rush. Rienks, a popular YouTuber and podcaster, has been posting nonstop to her Instagram story about resources to educate oneself on social issues ever since the Black Lives Matter movement gained extreme momentum following the death of George Floyd. Rienks has continued to post about her political and social views leading up to the presidential election, encouraging her followers to vote blue. Rush has been doing similar work, though for much longer. Former host of web series “News in a Rush,” he has always been dedicated to sharing political knowledge with his young following and encouraging them to get politically active when they come of age. However, with many elections taking place this fall, Rush has been increasingly active on Twitter and has continued to update his followers on the political world in an easy-to-understand fashion.
When it comes to the conservative and right-winged influencers, many think of the Conservative Hype House on TikTok. A spinoff of the well-known Hype House that includes some of TikTok’s most popular influencers, the Conservative Hype House focuses on right-wing political content. While this group obviously has many members, the main focus is on creator Cameron Higby. Their content mainly encourages reelecting President Trump and talks about the things he has done during his presidency. They also talk about controversial issues and their views on them, such as wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite supporting President Trump, Higby and these other creators do not support Trump’s proposed TikTok ban.
No matter what one’s political beliefs are, being involved in politics and encouraging others to be as well is always a good thing. Harboring discussion by making these conversations more socially acceptable and educating people on the issues at hand makes for a more well-informed society, and if influencers can aid in this process, then they should do so.
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