Tell me who you follow and I'll tell you who you are.

What will digital influence be like in the post-pandemic world?

For some people, this may sound obvious, while for others it may seem exaggerated, but the thing is that who you watch on stories every day and shows up in your Instagram feed frequently has a great influence on your decisions and how you feel.

Lately, we have seen several cases of influencers making embarrassing mistakes aka acting crazy in this entire Coronavirus crisis, whether it's minimizing the severity of the situation or romanticizing quarantine and spreading the message that we should see this moment as an opportunity for renewal & self-knowledge. Man, we just want to make it out alive by the end of this.

Maybe you are lying on your couch at home and thinking: “yes, that’s exactly what I want to see, the beautiful person ordering expensive restaurant delivery every day,” but that’s probably not what’s been happening (in fact, we hope it isn’t). We are (or should be) intolerant of superficiality, outraged at anyone who appears to be acting as if nothing is happening.

Influencers have a captive audience of people who are currently in panic, glued to the internet all the time, seeking help to process these horrors that keep appearing. But instead, they find that guy posting yet another pair of sneakers he got from brand X or bored out of his mind in his mansion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-S1rJBneeM/?utm_source=ig_embed

Kylie Jenner bored in her mansion with a pair of Dunk Low Pro SB 'Cherry' worth $2,400 on her feet

And it’s at this moment that we ask ourselves: what is the real role of these people? What can and should they do? Is taking a stand an obligation? 

Well, many influencers make money by showing off their lives, usually claiming they are sharing precious tips (almost always with a product or service behind them), things that will make us feel as light and happy as they are (with the difference that we pay for what they earn). Typically, they are praised for "using their platforms" to "raise awareness" and “entertain” their “community,” and that’s exactly why we expect these people to provide some useful content during this difficult time. After all, wouldn’t it be time to strengthen the bonds of trust that were built with followers when everything was fine?

Moreover, from this side – of those who follow – since we are going to keep following these celebrities, it's better that their contributions genuinely help lessen the negative feelings we are carrying and/or are fun enough to distract us from this suffering.

We, content consumers, must demand that influencers fulfill this crucial role during the pandemic, acting as agents in containing our despair to, at least, lessen a little of the negative impact of all this on our minds through light content, useful tips, and, most importantly, empathy for those who cannot order delivery every day, do not have a huge apartment to spend the pandemic in, or lack the motivation to take 37 online courses during quarantine.

This is what we call redefining the presence of these people in our daily lives.

Start following those whose lives are more similar to yours, and who will provide you with contextualized content, not completely out of touch with reality. And of course, not everyone has to talk about the pandemic 24/7, but it is indeed necessary to share (whatever it is) in a more realistic way that resonates with the current situation. Reorienting your position to show yourself as more authentic, without alienating your followers with posts that make no sense at all in the moment. After all, it is way too insensitive to post “buy this t-shirt with my discount code!” while everyone is watching the economy worsen day by day.

| Will we continue to shop as if there were no Coronavirus?

Follower, you sustain this market; your follow button is worth gold. So take this moment to clean up the profiles you follow, unfollow those who would never put themselves in your shoes, who maintain such an unreal lifestyle that, even in the middle of a global pandemic, cannot understand the severity and, even less, can stay relevant.

https://www.instagram.com/brucehatoo/

And to you, dear influencer, our advice is to understand that the "influence" you have been given also includes a huge sense of responsibility; your incredible-perfect post with a caption like “covid-free” doesn’t help; it has never been more important to stimulate relevant conversations, abandon the impeccable aesthetic, and embrace the vulnerability we all are in.

It’s useless to try to be too neutral or, worse, not address the pandemic and its issues – your followers were influenced when you tried to sell a product, so don’t ignore the power of your influence right now.