Influencers are wrapped in deceptive humanity

#Influencers #wrapped #deceptive #humanity

For that, like so much else, we can blame the profit interest. Influencers are usually in practice well-paid gig employees, who act as advertising pillars for all kinds of unethical products. Often they come wrapped in deceptive humanity, intended to encourage a parasocial attitude in followers that makes them more susceptible to ugly sales tricks.

A brilliant, fresh example is SVT’s examination which shows that the majority of the largest Swedish accounts on the live streaming platform Twitch (where I myself broadcast live once a week) advertise illegal online casinos to their followers. Just over half gave viewers direct links, and starter bonuses if they created accounts.

Online casinos are a disgusting business in general, but worse are the kind of illegal sites that do not even follow the Swedish gambling market’s requirements for an 18-year-old limit and measures to discourage excessive gambling. The whole thing also seems to violate Twitch’s own guidelines about paid collaborations.

The trend is worrying considering which platform it is about. Twitch is one of the biggest among middle school children in Sweden, but is used above all of a fifth of all born in the 90s and 00s. With a clear preponderance of boys.

Young men are the same group that runs the most risk to become addicted to gambling. A risk factor that is likely to increase if gambling is sold to you already in middle school by a much older millionaire whom you admire. Someone you interact with for several hours every day, as the relationship so often looks like between big streamers and their viewers.

Irresponsible marketing of illegal casinos to young and impressionable followers is rotten behavior, both from the individuals and the digital platforms that allow it. Hopefully, SVT’s review will cause Swedish supervisory authorities to react.