Influencer Politics and Why We Shouldn’t Care

A pivotal presidential election is just around the corner. With the stakes so high and time running so short, it’s surprising the two candidates aren’t focused on their policies, but have rather dedicated their campaigns to getting as much influencer support as possible, in hopes of winning this seeming popularity contest. 

Each candidate has been trying to rally as much support as humanly possible from some of the world’s biggest stars. 

Following the Sept. 10 presidential debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris through a post on her Instagram account. Just 24 hours after Swift’s public declaration, her post drove an estimated 400,000 people to vote.gov — a site where citizens can register to vote according to CBS News.

Republican nominee Donald Trump and his campaign team are attempting to attract Gen-Z male voters through speeches by influencers like Bryce Hall and the NELK Boys at his rallies.

Celebrities and influencers indeed do have massive followings on their platforms and can be influential at times. Despite this undoubted influence, we shouldn’t let these stars affect our political opinions.

The golden rule, that’s been repeated and passed down through generations, is never speak about politics, religion and money while in good company,  as the subjects kill the mood and are known to breed conflict. However, this notion seems to get shoved aside whenever someone asks for a celebrity’s political views.

Granted, it’s likely comforting to have similar views to such admired and favored celebrities. However, when the star has an opposing view from their fans, catastrophe ensues. The star can be canceled, lose millions of followers or get attacked with negative comments labeling them something they’re not.

Selena Gomez and her company Rare Beauty took a neutral stance on the war in Gaza, stating in a post shared on the company’s Instagram account, “We need to protect ALL people.” The post received immense backlash with fans and followers criticizing the company’s stance and many threatening to boycott the makeup line.

The vast consequences these celebrities and influencers face if they don’t align with their fans’ beliefs make it understandable for stars to not speak out on certain issues. After all, most of these household names have earned platforms because of their talent. Fans should focus on this, not their political beliefs or humanitarian efforts.

When speaking with friends, family or colleagues, it’s uncommon to pressure people into expressing their thoughts on an issue they don’t want to discuss, or pressure them into raising awareness on a topic they don’t know enough about. So why don’t celebrities and influencers get the same respect as everyone else? They’re people, not some toy fans can mold into whatever they please.

Nevertheless, public figures raising awareness on social media platforms is a good act that can benefit people, as it can bring attention to topics most people may be unfamiliar with or raise money for certain causes. While this may cause change at the constituent level, it rarely fosters legislative innovation, as lawmakers and political figures don’t typically act based on what these stars have to say.

TikTok influencers with millions of followers have posted thousands of videos just this year in response to Congress and President Joe Biden approving a bill with aims of banning the app. The videos listed reasons explaining why the app shouldn’t be banned, many concerned with losing not only their job, but the platforms’ sense of community.

 It has been months since this outpouring from creators and, to no one’s surprise, the app is still at risk of being banned despite current candidates using it for their campaigns. Despite multiple influencers coming together in hopes of saving the app, these efforts seem to have held little to no sway.

Legislators’ opinions aren’t being changed by what a certain public figure has to say, but are benefiting from unwarranted celebrity opinions.

While freedom of expression is a fundamental right in America, forcing famous people into a particular opinion or forming one based on what they say is unjust and foolish, even if they seem larger than life.

With the election just weeks away, to base your vote for who should lead our country solely on the thoughts and opinions of an influencer or celebrity will ensure this election is determined by perforative popularity rather than substantive policy proposals.