EOTO: Online Influencers

 Online influencers have had a huge impact on our day to day lives in this age, especially in the way that we think about things such as fashion, health, and even political views. Influencers can influence things we wear, the kinds of products we buy, and even the way we take care of ourselves. An example of this is, a lifestyle influencer may recommend a new skincare product to its viewers, and a fitness influencer may share a workout routine that encourages people to try it out by showing the results. Influencers also often promote trends such as new diets or healthy habits. Sometimes they show their viewers a "perfect" version of their lives, which can make people inclined to buy expensive things or try to meet unrealistic goals to achieve what the influencer is putting out there, such as things like always looking perfect or having an ideal lifestyle.

One of the benefits of having influencers is that a lot of them are beginning to speak more openly about things like struggles with body image and mental health which is a big issue especially in today's world because of the people having the persona that they have a “perfect” life. Certain Influencers have begun to normalize the discussion  about how we feel mentally sometimes and they have pushed to embrace all lifestyles and people as beautiful. This has been extremely helpful for some people who might have dealt with self-esteem problems or feeling like they weren't "good enough." By showing that people can be beautiful and healthy in all kinds of  sizes, influencers are now encouraging people to accept themselves for who they are which has helped people immensely.

Influencers also have a large amount of power especially when it comes to spreading awareness about important problems in our world, such as climate change or racial equality. Certain influencers have started to  use their platforms to encourage their followers to get involved in social issues, vote during elections, and support peaceful protests. This can be a really good way to get younger crowds involved in important issues, especially because many younger people tend to trust influencers more than they trust traditional news outlets.. Influencers can help make the world more aware of important things By telling their opinions and giving information.  

With all of this being said, there are still some risks when it comes to influencers and the impact that they have. For example, not every influencer is trustworthy, and some of them might spread misinformation or push political ideas that have bias and may confuse people. Because many young people follow influencers very closely, it’s crucial to be careful about what we see and believe in. Some influencers may share false or biased information with their audience just because it may support their own opinions. This can make it a lot harder for people to make informed decisions of their own. This is especially happening when influencers are talking about politics. At times, influencers get paid by political campaigns to tell their followers to vote for a certain party, and this can make people pressured to follow a certain viewpoint without understanding it fully.

Online influencers are overall a very important part of our lives in todays age. They help us make better choices when it comes to things such as health, body image, and even social issues at times. However we also still have to be careful about it because not everything that influencers share is always true or helpful. Influencers have a ton of power, especially over younger viewers. Therefore it’s crucial to think closely about the things that we see online and to be sure that we are getting the information we see from reliable sources.