I don’t know about you but scrolling through Instagram now seems like a pretty arduous battle with marketers and brands, often carried out by aesthetically attractive individuals who seem to have the grasp on the functions of a mobile phone but not so much about inspiring or setting a narrative.

And that’s where the problem is with all this ‘social media influencer’ stuff lately. A lot of Instagram bios are filled with a defining statement, a niche, but not all those associated really have a lot to say.

What is an influencer?

Before we even try to define the very basis of what makes someone on social media an ‘influencer’, let’s first dissect the word’s meaning, minus the ‘social media’ aspect.

To influence is ‘to have the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.” Or at least that’s what the dictionary says.

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Nowadays though, the term’s definitions has taken a 360, albeit a social media influencer’s content may be susceptible to bring an effect on a character of its influencees but not always in a good way.

A lot of the influencers we see today aren’t really as ‘influential’

Perhaps I’m a little sceptical, but when I look through most influencer accounts, a lot of the ones who refer to themselves as an ‘influencer’ seem to have a skewed notion as to what the term entails.

Let’s just cut things clear, posting photos of luxury cars, the traveling selfies taken in Europe or talking about how swimmingly a clothing brand has changed a person’s life does not make them someone influential.

All this does is it feeds the minds of the fragile, those who are self-conscious into thinking their realities are less admirable or ‘adventurous’ as that influencer in Maldives scuba diving after being flown out by the resort in exchange for a couple of posts.

Social media itself has been a debatable subject when related to it being a relevant effect from some millennials anxiety and/or depression. And honestly, it might not be too far from the truth.

I know when I enter my phone’s password, log onto Instagram and scroll through my carefully curated ‘following’ list, I still can’t evade the senseless uploads of some of the region’s most-followed individuals.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with those who cater to their niche, may it be fashion or sports, as long as someway somehow they’re spreading a message for their communities or teaching their followers something. Anything.

But if you’re just posting to showcase new lip fillers, the new car daddy bought you and the lunch you had at the Four Seasons- you’re doing nobody any influencing.

As far as I know, you’re just sharing photos of yourself on a platform that was designed for just that.

Online motivational speaker got this one right when he released a vide below, discussing the same.

Let’s support those who actually make a difference

Once the better of us realise that among the abundance of social media influencers today actually exist a few good ones, we should do our part to keep supporting those.

I can already think of a few good examples of what fits the inspirational, empowering and uplifting ‘influencer’ category in Saudi.

One in particular whom I’ve had the pleasure of following for a while is the local adventurer Raha Moharrak, known for being the first Saudi woman to summit the highest peak in the seven continents. After bringing home the greatest pride of achieving the difficult things she endured, Moharrak continues to inspire with content that is enriching, true to the heart and one that allows its viewers to see that there’s more than meets the eye.

She shares her passions, failures, successes and weaknesses all under the same platform using her own words as a tool and her curiosity as the focality of what makes her wildly fascinated with the world, its different cultures and stories of people.

In turn, she’s made me want to set goals and achieve them for myself, to see the world through my lenses and to always ask questions. Simply by sharing all aspects of aspirational self to the public. That’s real influence.

This isn’t about lamenting a particular group of people but shedding more light to those who deserve it

There’s not much we can do to change what’s here today but we can alter what we choose to see, read and watch on our phones everyday.

It’s all within a tap of a finger.