Rethinking Social Media: A Two-Edged Axe
Social media has grabbed an inevitable part of our lives and all age groups around the world are engaged on this platform. The easiness and accessibility of social media drives the engagement rate. During the pandemic time, social media extensively made its way into people lives, and today it has become a mode of earning through engaging content creations for large audiences present online. The openness of social media sites has made it possible for anyone with innovative talent, charisma or expertise to build a following and become influencers. This has also redefined in established media and advertising models.
Social Media and its Reach with Vast Information
Social media is something that now has a hand in everything with respect to volumes of information are made is accessible. Social media today is serving as the much needed medium for sharing the information about anything and everything, and its reach is prolific. Thus, it is highly beneficial if used properly including empowering users to raise awareness on social issues, teaching various subjects such as fitness, professional and personal development, financial education, creating a community, learning about art & creativity, and creating entertaining & fashion content. On the other hand, social media can lead to negative consequences including spreading misinformation, encouraging harmful and hateful behaviors &stereotypes, mental health problems (such as stress and low self-esteem, and and more). Moreover, irresponsible usage of social media by influencers due to lack of accountability, pressure to incessantly generate content, and lack of regulation of platforms can lead to major chaos in the community and society.
When Did Social Platforms Become So Powerful?
A Peek into Influencer Power
This rise of social media influencers has dramatically reshaped the digital landscape, becoming a powerful force in marketing, entertainment, and even societal trends. Influencers, often individuals with large followings on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter, leverage their online presence to engage &impact audiences in unique ways. They are seen as relatable, authentic, and often more trustworthy than traditional celebrities or brands, making them ideal figures for businesses looking to reach targeted consumer groups.
It turns out that, now, in this digital era, people have become extremely comfortable with the accessibility and content the provided to that feels relatable and serves as good entertainment piece. Moreover, they’ve even become comfortable commenting and interacting with & crossing the boundaries overlooking the cyber laws. The very popular and used platforms like Instagram, and YouTube have a wide audience of all ages registered today.. From the position of a celebrity or more than a celeb, the people on social media have grown to a position where they have certain power among young people and the people as their audience.
In a recent incident, Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) sparked controversy during a podcast appearance when he made inappropriate and vulgar comments about parents, which were widely viewed as disrespectful and offensive, especially in a culture where parents are highly revered. His remarks undermined the respect for family bonds, a core value in many cultures, particularly in India. The crude language used was seen as offensive to those who hold parental relationships in high esteem. Given his large following of young people, Ranveer’s words could encourage disrespectful behavior toward parents or normalize the use of inappropriate language, potentially influencing his audience to adopt similar attitudes.
Known for his content around stand-up comedy, streams, and now a trending name Samay Raina too was found guilty in such act. He faced backlash when he made an insensitive comment about women. The incident involving two known names for the media, Samay Raina and Kusha Kapila took place on a live stream where he made a disrespectful comment by calling Kusha Kapila an offensive word in a very casual way. As this gained the attention of the audiences, many viewers criticized Raina for crossing the line of acceptable humor and naming it as comedy. Though the remark was likely intended to be lighthearted and in jest, it sparked backlash from fans & followers who found it offensive, particularly given the public nature of the interaction while having a large number of young audience. Though he apologized, the incident raised concerns about the responsibility influencers have when making jokes on sensitive issues like gender.
At the same time, CarryMinati was highly criticized after his parody video about fellow YouTuber 'Triggered Insaan' gained virality. The video drew major criticism over the use of hate speech and cyber bullying in it and hence was deleted by YouTube as per the company's terms of service. This made a major controversy erupt within Indian online spaces. It fueled an online discussion over cyber bullying and its influence on younger generations.
Responsibility and Ethics
Social media platforms, with limited oversight, allow such behavior to persist, negatively affecting societal values and mental health. Influencers may prioritize growth over ethical considerations, pushing controversial or harmful content for attention. While social media has immense potential for good, both influencers and platforms must take greater responsibility to prevent negative impacts on their audiences and promote ethical standards.
These incidents have brought to the forefront the question of influencers' ethical responsibilities. Whatever their actions are, positive or negative; they have the power to move mass audiences, including young and vulnerable individuals, and therefore, they are accountable for their actions. Ethics and responsibility regarding social media influencers have become fundamental points of debate. Influencers, given their large audience and power to sway public opinion, have a moral duty to produce content that is not just fun but ethical. They sway the purchasing behavior of consumers, societal trends, and even individual values, with a tendency to mold the thoughts of their audience, especially the younger population. This puts them under a moral obligation to drive genuine, transparent, and respectful content. Ethical content needs to be respectful of society's norms and should not be contributing to unhealthy stereotypes or misleading information. Additionally, influencers need to be made responsible for the effects their content could have on mental health, body image, and consumerism. Great power brings great responsibility, and influencers need to recognize and accept the influence they carry with them to ensure that their content creates healthy and constructive change.
Conclusion
With these recent incidents, there has been broad awakening regarding public platforms and duties. These incidents have raised demands for greater regulation and guidelines for influencers, such that their actions and content align with ethical values and do not mislead or harm their audience. There is a growing demand for regulation of social media influencers because of their massive influence and power over public opinion, consumerism, and social norms. Though influencers may promote lifestyles, ideas, and products, the absence of guidelines has created issues of misleading advertising, unsubstantiated claims, and ethical concerns over certain content. Laws can provide transparency, making influencers responsible for sponsored posts and making followers aware of advertisements.
In summary, by finding a balance between regulation and creative freedom, we can create a more responsible and credible social media space that serves both the influencers and their followers while reducing potential harm. Having ethical standards in place would also stop the promotion of dangerous trends, misinformation, and unrealistic expectations, safeguarding vulnerable viewers, especially young ones. Regulatory actions would also tackle concerns over privacy so that influencers uphold the boundaries of their audience and do not leverage personal information for profit. While the power of social media will only continue to increase, it is crucial that regulation be a balanced one, so that public interest is protected and yet there remains room for imagination and freedom of expression.
