Influencers: helpful communicators or new political pawns? Let’s help youth decode influencers’ messages

Today, politics and culture are often not left up to “men in suits” alone. Have you ever heard of influencers? They are singers, actors, societies’ “VIPs”: characters who, from their soap boxes and via their profiles, influence the masses, sensitize and sway public opinion in a particular direction.

Their main weapon? Social networks. Their preferred audience? Young people: men and women of the future. People in the developmental stages of life.

As it is generally easier to affect someone’s gut reaction than their logical reaction, then any message thrown out there will easily hit younger people harder, since they are more emotional, more passionate, and more easily taken by apparent enthusiasm.

Politicians have ever understood that propaganda is best made through artists—concrete characters who are highly esteemed and have many followers—who act as testimonials of cultural and/or ideological battles.

Art: a vehicle of cultural messages

If you want to change the world, you have to enter the entertainment world.  While it might seem like a novel idea, it was actually something pre-Christian civilizations, like the ancient Greeks, had already understood.

One of the issues that has made its way onto the art scene, in order to enter the real world, is undoubtedly gender theory.

Movies, TV series, and novels are certainly effective means to push this topic: just think of the TV series Modern Family, which is just one of many.

However, if shows have the power to create “frames,” certain messages are received even more willingly if they are embodied and transmitted by real people—beloved artists who promote the cause in their private lives.

Today, almost all influencers are committed to destroying the difference between men and women and the idea that marriage and parenthood are based on the complementary union of the two.

The examples are endless! I’ll showcase just a few that I found.

The artist’s images and beliefs: a powerful combination

A few months ago, I met a high school girl “in love” with the British singer-songwriter, Harry Styles, who made his debut in the music world in 2010.

On stage he spreads messages of love for the poor, is sensitive to children, and takes a stand against bullying.

In addition, he rails against what he considers “gender stereotypes.” Without speaking about it much, he prefers to “show” others what he thinks, for example, by changing his appearance throughout his music videos: First he dresses as a man, then as a woman, then as both, wearing heels with a men’s shirt.

Why? Because it is necessary to rebel against “toxic masculinity,” against the stereotype of men who are “all muscles and no brains.” In a world of “weak thinking” and relativism, it seems to escape us that, between toxic masculinity and the absolute rejection of masculinity, there is an abyss: healthy virility does exist!

This “nuance” in his videos, seen by millions of boys, isn’t at all considered, and his message is that men should be deprived of their masculinity by becoming feminine.

An artist’s freedom of expression is almost unlimited

Another thing to note when it comes to influencers is that “poetic liberty” seems to have no limits. I notice that the public rarely pushes back against an artist for the messages he or she spouts.

Song lyrics don’t seem to deserve “analysis” or judgment, because in the name of freedom of expression you can sing anything… “It’s only fiction anyway!”

As we have already spoken about on our portal, it often happens that singers with obscene lyrics – and often politically incorrect – are defended in their antisocial messages simply because they are artists.

The result? A profound inconsistency, which thereby generates confusion.

An influencer must not be consistent but persuasive

An Italian influencer, Fedez, has taken a stand in favor of a law that would serve, according to its promoters, to combat homophobia. From a stage, live on national television, he read – with the aim of denouncing them – homophobic phrases spoken by right-wing politicians, triggering public outrage. What’s ironic is that he has a repertoire of songs containing homophobic phrases.

When I pointed out his apparent inconsistency to those who were speaking about what a “brave speech” he gave at his concert, they told me: “You don’t know what lyric analysis is?” “The songs have harsh language, but he didn’t mean to offend anyone,” ”The trap genre is vulgar, but Fedez is sensitive of these rights.” These are just a few of the phrases that people told me when I pointed out the inconsistency of the singer to those who recounted this “brave speech” given during a concert.

Let’s help children decode the messages that inundate them

To the parents, educators, and teachers who are reading this, I would like to say this: art is a sort of parallel world for your children, and artists become like spiritual guides, educational models, even idols. The most toxic messages, today, are conveyed through musical tunes or cinema screens.

If you love your children, I invite you to spend time speaking with them about the words that they absorb and the images they see. Spend some time helping them to decode the messages. Help them understand that something bad is still bad even if said in a rhyme. Help them to think for themselves and understand the value of consistency. Show them the dangers of following a “character” without asking questions and without thinking critically about them on their own.