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    With the recent surge of the internet, social media has integrated itself into daily life more and more. Social media influencers whether it be via TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter have significant control over their audience. This influence can have both positive and negative consequences. Many social media influencers use their platform and following to speak about political issues such as equal rights and gun violence. This is a positive way for social media influencers to use their platform because they are educating their audience about current events that affect everyone's daily lives whether they know it or not. These types of influencers are creating a new generation of politically educated advocates ready to fight for what they believe in.

    TikTok has become a huge platform for advocacy, when the Black Lives Matter protests reached their peak in the year 2020, many black creators stood up and educated the TikTok community about the movement. Several allies of the Black Live Matter Movement followed suit showing their support. This led to a wider geographic area of young people being educated in political events and ideals.

    Even though social media influencers are a great way to be educated about current events, it also can lead to the spread of false information. With the age of social media and influencers trying to obtain views, it is hard to distinguish who is telling the truth and who is telling stories for fame. Social media and its influencers are notorious for spreading false and misleading information.

    It can be quite difficult for people to shuffle through all the information on the internet and depict fact versus fiction. This can lead to the fear or distrust of public misinformation. However, social media is one of the fastest ways for everyday people to receive news and information about current events in near real time. With one click, millions of individuals have access to recently posted news about political events and news stories.

    On the contrary, there are unfortunately more influencers on social media using their fame and following to get rich quickly or participate in drama. When influencers engage in drama, it sets a bad example for their followers, especially members who are younger and more susceptible to be influenced negatively. This type of social media influence is what leads parts of the internet to be toxic and can cause harm. Many influencers who only care about fame and fortune often degrade and humiliate other influencers to be “trending” and gain a higher following. Oftentimes, they do without remorse or empathy. This behavior can negatively affect younger generations spreading through their social media platform.

    In my opinion, I believe the way social media influencers interact and present themselves on social media can greatly impact how the younger generations on social media act. It is of the utmost importance that influencers on social media use their platform currently to maintain a positive influence over their audience and viewers.

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