“Professional “influencers” ultimately get paid from people buying things as a result of their videos. Products promoted by these latter-day pitchmen may or may not be good for their viewers but are definitely good for their own bottom lines.”
(Christopher Jacobs – The Federalist) In the face of it, it seems absurd. Why would people make decisions based on what they heard on an app affiliated with China’s Communist government?
Most people don’t view the phenomenon of TikTok influencers through that prism, yet that scenario aptly describes the choices made by millions of Americans each day….
Above and beyond the question of whether the app should have anything to do with the Chinese government (and it shouldn’t) lie larger existential questions about the nature of 21st-century society.
Profligacy as Narcissism
A recent Wall Street Journal article examined the effects of TikTok on Americans under 30. The piece featured several disturbing quotes and examples of questionable financial behavior, based largely upon what so-called “influencers” do and say on social media…