Every day people are being affected and shaped by what celebrities think and do. Celebrities such as Hank Green, Cardi B, Josh Gad, Ariana Grande can change the minds of millions of people by how they live their lives and their opinions on politics. Like many people, influencers have their own political opinions that they are very passionate about, but should they post about it and use their own platforms for political issues?
Many fans have the opinion that influencers should be able to have their own opinions and talk about it, but it shouldn’t get so dramatic. People, such as Cole Benning, a freshman, support this opinion and have a lot to say about it.
“I totally support them speaking their mind on whatever they believe in, but they have no obligation to make political comments or bring politics to their platform,” said Benning.
And just like on every type of social media, there’s always going to be some people who completely disagree with the influencer’s opinion, and feel like they must argue with them, which creates many problems.
“It’s their platform and if they want to talk about politics, they can. But if anyone gets mad that someone famous isn’t ‘using their platform for good’ [they are] just being difficult. No, they can do whatever they want on their platform,” said Benning.
What can result is a lot of controversy. It’s not just a problem for their followers, but for the social media influencers themselves because they can’t make everyone happy.
Loyal followers of these influencers don’t seem to think that there is reason for concern. The followers are there to support the fame of the influencer, no matter the political messages they may be communicating. Supporters, like Reese Sean, a sophomore, have their own opinion on this issue.
“Yes, I feel like they should be able to post about stuff like that. I mean they’re not really under contract to not talk about it, and as long as they aren’t hurting anyone, physically or mentally, then they should be able to speak out on subjects just like everyone else,” said Sean.
Like this belief, Khloe Santora, a freshman, believes that social media stars have the right to spread news to others.
“I think they should use their platforms to spread things that are going on. They have a platform that millions of people see every day,” said Santora. “It’s their responsibility as influencers to inform people about things that are happening.”
An influencer’s impact is large, but not everyone agrees on their responsibility when it comes to talking about political issues. However, both sides do agree that everyone has a right to their own opinion, even influencers.
Alivia Roach // Staff Writer