[balabaster]

It's worse than this - their entire life needs to be Instagram worthy. Everything they do is in the name of getting the next perfect shot, so they can influence others in the name of social advertising to make a quick buck. They either become proficient photographers, videographers and writers or they team up with those who are, capitalizing on the latest trends in photography to consolidate their brand.

The problem is we as a culture are both enabling and encouraging this by following these influencers, in effect paying them to do this. And not just a couple of hundred bucks here and there, these social media influencers have gone from nobodies to multi-millionaires almost overnight.

So it's not all about self involved. This is one of the negative consequences of the age of social media.

My kids follow these social media influencers who may as well be today's answer to Gucci, Donna Karan, Versace, Armani. There's make up influencers for the big beauty conglomerates. There's clothing influencers for the the fashion industry. There's tourism influencers for the tourism industry, all making millions of dollars a year trying to win the hearts and minds, or rather money, of the social media generation.

[cgriswald]

Nice rant, but the problem described by the GP has been there since long before social media. (Since I was a kid in the 70’s at least.) At best, social media exacerbates the problem but I’d say growing population and wealth have had a bigger impact.

[magnamerc]

Just wait until social influencers receive Libra's based on the amount of likes their pictures get.

[vram22]

It would make sense for them to get it based on the amount of profits their work generates.

[bitxbitxbitcoin]

Libras based on the value of ads FB sold while people were liking the post then.

[vram22]

Yes, I did get that chain (pun intended), but I thought GP meant it literally.

[xwdv]

Has nothing to do with making a quick buck. Has everything to do with getting social validation from their peers.

[balabaster]

Having that behaviour reinforced by rewarding it with payment doesn't exactly discourage it though, does it?