To be rich and famous are arguably the most fundamental of human desires – serving as the north-stars for everything we do throughout our lives, unless we have been particularly moved by Buddhist teachings of detachment. In which case, we continue chasing wealth and fame while also being confused. Only a little. Where’s the time to stop and ponder about random confusions? Most of us learn early in life that it is not easy to find ‘happiness’. Sooner or later, we gallantly let go of chasing happiness and take what we can get – being not too miserable. Many of us are making or planning journeys into the self and out into the world to discover the true meaning of happiness – how true bliss lies in minimalism and being obscure. Meanwhile, fame and riches have become DIY (Do It Yourself).
You read that right. Today, if we want to skip the arduous journey to enlightenment, by all means we can. We can do the opposite of living within our means and instead customise our means to suit our living. And we have social media to thank. Yes, the same Social Media we blame for ruining art, culture, skill, relationships and the quality of how we spend our time. Social Media, accused of fueling mediocrity, with its humble beginnings as online platforms for networking and self-expression for all, has now morphed into a not so mediocre career option. The JD (job description)? Use algorithms and tools to get famous online and consequently rich.
You have probably figured out that I am talking about influencers and thinking this is old news. Except I am not talking about influencers. I am talking about influencer training courses – turning the concept of using social media to gain fame and popularity into a legitimate career path.
As a regular content creator myself on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, I can tell you this: The quality of content or ahem! the pleasing appearance of the influencer does not cut it. That would make it really as easy as it seems. To go viral and sustain virality is a huge challenge. In some ways this takes us back to the old arrangement where opportunity was rationed out by gatekeepers of some sort in their respective domains. The solace is that the gatekeepers in the digital age are governed by dispassionate computers bereft of human ego and bias. I maintain, this change brought on by digitisation is more good than bad.
Kids will still worry about college admissions but not as much as earlier. We will still fear being laid off from work but not as much as earlier. We may still overthink the repercussions of quitting a workplace which is at the mercy of narcissistic, insecure, manipulative, political ‘bosses’. But not as much as before, All of us – without exception – have the option of using the internet and social media platforms for our freedom while also earning a decent living. A lot of people learnt how to do this through years of trial and error, perseverance and discipline. But now there are online courses teaching people to tread the path without repeating the same mistakes. India born Spearkraft call themselves ‘India’s first influencer school’ with a holistic look at the business of being an influencer. Their programme includes social media strategy, content creation, growth strategy, metrics and analytics, and personal branding to work the algorithms to our favour – helping anyone use the right techniques to become an influencer for a living.
Fame has become something that can be mass-manufactured. Totally diluting fame as an idea. Well, if it can help us earn a living free from the tyranny of demanding employers and clients, I think people are going to let that pass. With a little luck, this is likely to heighten the pressure on employers to shed their old sense of entitlement and weave in ‘respect for employee freedom’ into their organisational culture. With a little bit of luck.
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