Has Social Media Influencing in South Africa missed the call for Social Change in an election year? : Opinion

There are too many social change programs to mention in South Africa. With NGOs rising regularly, it is becoming more important to understand why there are more organizations than actual helpers, and why fewer voices mean less funding being distributed to those who are creating a real impact where it is desperately needed.

In the Social Media age, influencing has become a lucrative industry to be in. Creating content online can pay an influencer with a relatively small following as much as R12 000 a post. With artificial intelligence driving more and more adolescents to focus on online creating, we should be expecting thousands more "influencers" on the ground in the next ten years. Working a regular office job from 8 am to 5 pm is becoming less and less attractive when creating "wealth" online becomes easier. The problem we face in a superficial world is the need to keep selling meaningless ideas and content because we have all willingly become zombies to our devices, intrinsically meaning, we are all stuck absorbing the kind of content that keeps us ignoring the fundamental problems that keep escalating at our front doors.

Of course, we want our children and grandchildren to have opportunities to create incomes that give them the freedoms many of us don't have the chance to experience. It's a no-brainer that as the world evolves around us, we all need to stay up-to-date and on-trend, as to not fall off the "create the life you want" wagon. What would the world be if the humans who lived in it were not evolutionary in their thinking and development? Making our lives easier and more accessible is part of a man's human design which requires innovation.

It, however, doesn't seem like we are asking the questions about how then, with influencing being one of the most desired "jobs", the social needs of a country that seems to be plunging into a state of hopelessness, can be addressed effectively through the online world. Influencers basically don't have any regulation, and although I personally believe that putting in markers limiting their growth isn't necessary and shouldn't be our aim, however, with millions of eyes on their content each day, should some social responsibility not be required to form a part of the privilege for that influence?

Every single time a woman dies, or a child gets kidnapped in South Africa, the influencer world becomes so silent that it's truly scary. How do the people who can create accelerated change almost immediately, completely ignore the fact that the deep problems we face in South Africa will ultimately affect them personally if the rate of crime continues to climb year-on-year? Furthermore, with social change involvement not forming a part of social media influencing, how then are we to implement it later when the current Gen-Z creators have taken over with AI online?

Think "Ready Player One" the film, where the gaming and online world has all but taken over human behavior, where rape, abuse, and murders are committed without question. A far-fetched concept you may think, but let's please consider the similarities between "Contagion" - 2011 and our entire lives shutting down only a mere nine years later.

The elections are upon us, and every person who wants to look away from these problems is "expecting" a government that still cannot seem to understand what is needed from them, to show up at some point. We already know that relying on any government after 30 years of consistent failure will prove to be completely fruitless, and yet, we choose willful ignorance while our sisters and brothers are dying right in front of us. There needs to be a point where every single citizen comes to the realization that no matter what platform we are on, we are also influential in our personal circles. Like tax is a requirement if you are making an income, so should social activism also be.

In an ideal world, every influencer should find agency around something that either affects them personally or at least their community and without even realizing it, because these issues are not even showing up in their feeds, it's hurting the perception of their followers, who are being affected. More and more of those who have social media accounts simply to scroll their time away, are starting to glimpse between the cracks of these online "personalities" and over time, will start choosing with their "follows" and money, if influencers are not considering that zero affiliations to the social-change world, actually has a glaring impact on their perceived character.

Does anyone care, probably not, but for those of us who do, I hope that we can start to not only think about this going forward but also actively start a movement that incentivizes influencers to consider their social responsibility and its impact on the lives that need them in 2024.

That brings me to the Influencers Impact Collective. A collective of influencers who take up social impact projects as part of their yearly portfolio. The aim of the collective is to give influencers and their brands credibility in not only showcasing their lifestyles and content, but also through character building relationships with their followers, turning them from 'watchers' to family. Character is developed in understanding the legitimate needs of the community you serve, and with the Influencers Impact Collective we aim to do just that and so much more.

For more information on the Influencers Impact Collective, you can email: [email protected]