„Manipulálják a közönségüket“ | Guld Ádám az influenszerek hatásáról | Zajszűrő

DW Magyar

20 Sept 202410:59

Summary

TLDRThe video explores the growing influence of social media influencers, their power to mobilize followers, and their impact on both culture and politics. It highlights instances where influencers have caused public disruptions, from street giveaways to massive crowds at events, raising concerns about their ability to manipulate audiences. The script also discusses the rise of parasocial relationships between influencers and followers, comparing it to past media figures. Experts weigh in on how influencers use their platform for profit and activism, and the increasing involvement of politics in influencer culture.

Takeaways

💸 Influencers can create chaotic mass events, as seen with money giveaways that caused public disruptions in Budapest.
🤳 Influencers are overtaking traditional celebrities in popularity, influencing both online and offline behaviors.
📈 Many influencers prioritize profit over social responsibility, engaging in actions that can be ethically questionable.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Parasocial relationships between influencers and followers mimic real-life friendships, intensifying the influencer's impact on their audience.
👥 The younger generation, often more isolated due to online culture, forms connections with influencers as substitutes for real-life friendships.
🎥 Influencers have a growing role in activism and political movements, organizing public protests and events.
🎙️ Some influencers, like YouTuber Dancsó Péter, criticize others for political associations, leading to public debate and controversy.
👔 Politicians are increasingly adopting influencer-style tactics to engage younger audiences, although sometimes awkwardly.
🔄 Influencers’ impact on public opinion, especially in political and social issues, is increasing but still somewhat limited.
⚖️ Influencers face growing pressure to acknowledge their responsibility, especially as their offline influence continues to rise.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video transcript?
-The primary focus of the video transcript is on influencers and their impact on their audience, as well as how their influence extends beyond entertainment to societal and political spheres.
How do influencers differ from traditional celebrities?
-Influencers differ from traditional celebrities in that they build their popularity from the ground up through online platforms, often interacting directly with their audience, which creates a more personal and parasocial connection.
What are some of the problematic aspects of influencer behavior mentioned in the transcript?
-Problematic aspects include influencers engaging in controversial actions, promoting content solely for profit, and sometimes collaborating with brands or individuals that can have a negative or manipulative impact on their audience.
How do influencers manipulate their audiences, according to the video?
-Influencers manipulate their audiences by leveraging their close, parasocial connections to encourage behaviors like attending events, purchasing products, or even participating in political movements, often using direct appeals or stunts to drive engagement.
What example of influencer behavior causing public disruption is highlighted in the transcript?
-An example given is a TikToker who threw 2 million forints into the streets of downtown Budapest, causing a chaotic crowd scene where people trampled flowers and struggled to maintain order.
What is the concept of 'parasocial relationships,' and how is it relevant to influencers?
-Parasocial relationships refer to one-sided connections where followers feel a close bond with influencers, even though the influencers do not know them personally. This concept is crucial for understanding the influence these content creators have on their audience.
How are influencers beginning to affect political and societal movements?
-Influencers are increasingly mobilizing their audiences for political causes or societal issues, with some organizing protests, advocating for specific ideologies, or even influencing political discourse through their platforms.
What challenges do influencers face when engaging with political content?
-Engaging with political content can lead to influencers losing brand deals or facing backlash from followers and other influencers. Their involvement in political discussions can also draw unwanted attention or criticism from the media.
How has the relationship between influencers and traditional political figures evolved?
-Political figures are increasingly adopting influencer-like behaviors, such as using social media to build direct connections with their voter base, often imitating content styles popular among younger audiences to stay relevant.
What potential risks do influencers pose in shaping public opinion on important issues?
-The risk lies in influencers lacking expertise on complex topics, such as politics or culture, yet still having a significant impact on public opinion due to their large and engaged followings. This can lead to the spread of misinformation or shallow understanding of critical issues.

Outlines

00:00

💰 The Rise of Influencers and Their Power

This paragraph discusses the growing influence of online influencers in society, comparing their impact on young followers to how teens in the 60s idolized musicians. It highlights the generational shift, where influencers now have political and cultural impact, though their focus is often on profit maximization. The text mentions examples of extreme behavior, such as a TikToker throwing money into the street and causing chaos. Despite their fame, influencers are often unaware or indifferent to the deeper consequences of their actions.

05:02

👥 Parasocial Relationships and Online Influence

The focus here is on the concept of parasocial relationships, where influencers build emotional bonds with their followers through online interactions. This creates a feeling of personal connection, similar to friendships, making influencers highly effective at influencing behaviors. The paragraph explains how influencers exploit these bonds, and how the shift toward online socialization weakens real-world friendships, especially among youth. As a result, many turn to influencers to fill social voids, further amplifying their power.

10:03

⚖️ Politics, Social Movements, and the Role of Influencers

This paragraph explores how influencers have begun using their platforms for political and social activism. It highlights instances where influencers organized protests or made political statements, sometimes leading to controversy and backlash. The text discusses the risks influencers face when engaging in political discourse, with some losing sponsorships. It also mentions the trend of politicians adopting influencer strategies, often awkwardly, to connect with younger audiences, showing the growing intersection between politics and online influence.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Influencers

Influencers are individuals who have built a significant following on social media platforms and are capable of shaping the opinions and behaviors of their audience. In the video, influencers are portrayed as powerful figures who have replaced traditional celebrities in terms of cultural impact, and they often manipulate or guide their followers towards certain actions, sometimes with profit as the main goal.

💡Parasocial relationships

Parasocial relationships are one-sided connections where a viewer feels a sense of friendship or closeness with an influencer or public figure, despite no real interaction. The video explains how these relationships mirror real friendships, especially through platforms that allow interaction, reinforcing the emotional bonds between influencers and their audience.

💡Manipulation

Manipulation refers to the influencers' ability to influence and control their audience’s behavior, sometimes leading them to participate in actions like mass gatherings or consumer decisions. The video gives examples of influencers organizing events where followers aggressively competed for money or goods, highlighting the influencers' power to direct actions.

💡Profit maximization

Profit maximization is described as a key goal for many influencers, who often prioritize financial gain over ethical concerns. The video mentions that influencers sometimes engage in controversial actions or partnerships, regardless of their potential negative effects on followers, driven by the need to earn money.

💡Social responsibility

Social responsibility refers to the moral obligation influencers may have regarding their impact on followers, especially given their large audiences. The video questions the extent of this responsibility, with some experts arguing that influencers should use their platforms for positive social influence, while others suggest that it is not their duty to do so.

💡Political influence

Political influence highlights how influencers are increasingly engaging with political topics, either consciously or unconsciously shaping public opinion. The video discusses cases where influencers took a stance on political issues, such as organizing protests or being criticized for aligning with political ideologies, which has led to both positive and negative outcomes.

💡Public perception

Public perception refers to how the general audience views both influencers and their followers. The video contrasts older generations' criticisms of young people's fascination with influencers, especially when they engage in irrational behavior, such as scrambling for money at public events, which reflects a broader societal concern over the influence of social media.

💡Virtual interaction

Virtual interaction is the communication that occurs between influencers and their audiences through social media platforms. The video notes that influencers use these interactions to create a sense of closeness and community, further strengthening their control over followers and reinforcing parasocial relationships.

💡Cultural shift

Cultural shift refers to the changing dynamics in how people consume media and interact with public figures, moving from traditional celebrities to social media influencers. The video suggests that influencers are now the main cultural drivers, affecting everything from fashion trends to political opinions, often surpassing the influence of more conventional media.

💡Online to offline influence

Online to offline influence describes the ability of influencers to take their popularity from the digital world and manifest it in real-world actions. The video provides examples of influencers organizing events that drew large crowds, showing that their impact transcends the virtual space and can lead to real-world consequences.

Highlights

Influencers, building their reputation from the ground up online, are overtaking traditional celebrities in popularity worldwide, including Hungary.

Young influencers can manipulate their audience into real-life actions, with examples like massive crowds for a TikToker giving away cash or the chaotic reception of an international streamer in Budapest.

Influencers often prioritize profit maximization, which leads them to engage in problematic collaborations and actions, sometimes disregarding the impact on their audience.

A significant parasocial relationship forms between influencers and their audience, creating a sense of intimacy and friendship, even though it exists primarily in the virtual realm.

This parasocial bond allows influencers to influence their followers’ behavior much like traditional media celebrities in the past, though with a stronger effect due to online interaction.

The popularity of influencers can be both commercially and politically exploited, with some influencers participating in or even organizing public demonstrations, such as protests in Budapest.

The phenomenon of political influencers is emerging as politicians adapt influencer tactics, utilizing direct communication and engaging online platforms.

Influencers may face consequences, such as losing sponsorships, if they express political opinions or participate in controversial events, revealing the risks of mixing activism with commercial endeavors.

Despite concerns, influencers’ influence on societal issues remains somewhat limited for now, although it may increase in the future as their role in public life expands.

The rise of influencers has created a shift in how people access political and cultural information, with many preferring influencers over traditional experts.

Influencers, particularly younger ones, are increasingly seen as capable of replacing traditional commentators and experts, which poses risks to the quality of public discourse.

Many influencers, while powerful in reaching large audiences, are often not well-versed in the subjects they discuss, yet they still manage to shape public opinion significantly.

As influencers gain more public relevance, their offline mobilization power increases, raising concerns about their growing responsibility.

The political class in Hungary, including figures like Viktor Orbán, has adopted influencer-like behavior, utilizing social media to engage with their audience in new ways.

Critics argue that the influence of certain YouTubers and influencers could undermine serious political debate, turning political engagement into spectacle.