The Power to Scroll

"Power is not just a negative, coercive or repressive thing that forces us to do things against our wishes. Power is a networked space of relations- and it can also be a necessary productive and positive force in the networks of society." (Gaventa, 2003, p.2).


Have you ever been stuck scrolling down an endless loop of content, unaware of how much time is passing by? Instagram tends to have this certain effect on its users. The social media platform allows you to post pictures and videos of your life and interests. It allows you to see what people you know are doing with their lives, and what is happening in your favourite influencer's extravagant lifestyles. It can transport you to a different world, you can be whatever you imagine.


Instagram has over one billion users from all around the world, more than 500 000 of these users are influencers. To become an influencer, you have to gain at least 15 000 followers, at this point you would have the means to some sort of power. For Instagram, power is associated with how many followers you have, how many people liked your photos and if you have the blue verification tick. These three things are all associated with the modalities of reward and seduction. For if you are receiving a lot of likes on the post you made or even gaining a huge following. That can be considered as a reward, and followers and like are a big part of social media. People are interested in the content they provide on their Instagram page and that would make them as the influencer much more powerful.


Allen wrote in 2011 that "The bigger the capabilities at our disposal, whether measured by financial muscle, skill, information, contacts or sheer fire-power, the greater the assumed power" (pg. 13). They are able to use this power to their advantage. By getting brand deals and manipulating people that the product they are advertising is the "best". The celebrity is not only being paid to advertise for the brand, they are also exposing their image in order to gain more followers. An example of this could be Lil Miquela, in 2016 her account began as a mystery to everyone. No one knew if she was real or just an animation. Originally just a digital project, now virtual influencer Lil Miquela has 1.6 million followers and was recently in a Calvin Klein advertisement with Bella Hadid.

Bella Hadid and Lil Miquela, Calvin Klein (Saunders, 2019)

"It is just part of the durable architecture of social life: some people have it but choose not to use it, whilst others use it and even abuse it" (Allen, 2011, p. 12). Being able to influence so many people through posts on social media is a pretty big deal, their audience could range from young children to the elderly. Many people would look up to these so called influencers and take in everything that they have to say. So if they say or do the wrong thing, they're pretty much in the spotlight and their followers could either still be loyal to them or lose their interest in that influencer. So in a way, the followers hold a certain type of power too. Masses of followers could choose to not like that celebrity anymore because of something that they have done. Everyone on Instagram holds a certain amount of power, just clicking follow is a powerful action itself.

References:

Kuttainen, V. (2019). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Week three lecture notes [Powerpoint slides]. College of Arts, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.

Allen, J. (2011). Lost Geographies of Power. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Saunders, Nicole. (2019). Lil Miquela and Bella Hadid, Calvin Klein [image]. Retrieved from https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/models/a27496334/bella-hadid-lil-miquela-calvin-klein/

The Washington Post. (2016). I think I solved Instagram's biggest mystery, but you'll have to figure it out for yourself. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/09/22/i-think-i-solved-instagrams-biggest-mystery-but-youll-have-to-figure-it-out-for-yourself/?noredirect=on