Why do we use social media?
How many people in the modern world can relate to the notion of sitting in front of a computer screen the entire day at work, only to come home and spend their free time staring at their mobile phone?
This may seem very ironic, but most people seem to conform to this way of living without giving it a second thought. One might argue that it simply is because it is socially acceptable, but studies have shown that digital interaction in fact is easier than meeting people face to face and … requires less brain power.
Reading the social cues
The majority of our daily social interactions tend to be non-verbal. You may not notice it, but even in an office setting where you aren’t physically communicating to someone, you spend a lot of time analysing other people’s behaviour and emotions by looking at body gestures, facial expressions and other non-spoken communication.
Social interactions are a two-way street, where we take turns in receiving and responding to information. In order for information to be received properly, the importance of non-verbal communication becomes crucial since a spoken word doesn’t necessarily have to mimic our emotions. Naturally, these interactions tend to utilise more effort, but they are nonetheless crucial in order to build empathy, social intelligence and a sense of belonging.
The pros and cons
Communicating via digital media has its benefits in reaching multiple friends at once, but it may not necessarily portray the real feelings which easily can be masked by the use of emoticons, manipulated photos .. well the list goes on. This allows people to build a false picture of themselves and their lifestyle, which may be difficult to attain in real life.
What way is the right way?
It is important that people with a voice (especially Influencers) realise the power they have in affecting the world with their content. At Influnique, our aim is to partner with what we refer to as the GMIs (Genuine Micro Influencers). We don’t only base our partnership on the follower account and post engagement but evaluate each Influencers content individually to ensure it has authenticity.
One particular influencer out there that we think shows a great example of genuine content is Pewdiepie. Unfortunately for us, he is not a micro influencer and thus would not fit our portfolio, but his content and personality does deserve a massive shout out. His values and personality seems to have remained unchanged throughout his career, all whilst keeping his content very honest, entertaining and reliable.
