As the interest in social media grows, influencers - those with large groups of followers on social media platforms - hold an increasingly significant  effect on teenagers. Teenagers who ‘follow’ the influencers often buy the products  they endorse, wear similar clothes, and even talk and act in a similar manner. A pseudo-research was conducted to determine which influencers are popular among International school followers in Korea.

In order to find the most popular influencers with the most amount of International school followers, the following method was used. It started by identifying an account of one international school student with about 1400 followers, mostly International school students. Then, the number of mutual followers - people the account was ‘friends’ with on Instagram who follow the same influencer - were counted. The number of mutual followers was  only counted from International school students to limit the pool. In  the end, three of the most popular influencers amongst International School students were identified; those with the most mutual followers. 

Through this research, the three most popular female influencers were determined. Any K-pop idols and actresses who would compromise the pool were exempted as they were celebrities before they were influencers.

The three most popular were Noze, Lee Youngji, and Cha HyunSeung. Noze is a famous dancer with 3.17 million followers on Instagram; she had 148 mutual followers. Lee Youngji is a rapper with 1.32 million followers and 104 mutual followers. Cha HyunSeung is a model and dancer with 1.12 million followers and 98 mutual followers.

To identify the characteristics of such influencers, three key aspects were focused on: 

  • How they become popular.
  • The factors that make them popular. 
  • The influence that they have. 

How do these people become popular? The common attribute between the three is reality shows. All three gained popularity after a reality show; Noze in Street Woman Fighter, Cha HyunSeungin Single’s Inferno, and Lee Youngji in High School Rapper. In fact, not just these three individuals but other people who were featured in the respective reality shows also gained popularity. 

Reality shows are significant ways of gaining popularity as they attract many viewers. As people view reality shows, they search for  people  they find attractive or  become interested in on social media. When people look up and follow the individuals, it creates a self-perpetuating cycle through algorithms. The algorithm recognizes the individuals as ‘popular’ based on the number of searches and begins to recommend their accounts to others. Soon, these people gain thousands of followers and become influencers. 

What makes these people popular? The primary factor is their unconventional features. For instance, Noze and Cha HyunSeung were both trending on social media platforms after the reality shows were broadcasted due to their looks that do not fit into the stereotypical gender roles that have been portrayed in mainstream media. 

Noze, as she is a dancer, wears baggy pants and loose clothes without necessarily showing off her figure, wears makeup, and is not the traditional pale and weak female. When participating in Street Woman Fighter, she showed off her powerful movements and  aggressive and strong nature. 

Lee Youngji is not skinny and often appears on social media without her makeup on. She has repetitively shown that she is satisfied with how she looks and does not diet or change her face simply for the public. She accentuates her tough independence and  rough personality, and occasionally in some variety shows, she shows off her strength that is even stronger than some male celebrities. 

Cha Hyunseung has tattoos all over his arm and is not the typical pale and soft male figure. He is comfortable wearing makeup and has a job as a dancer, which is commonly expected to be a female job. All of their unique looks and attitudes made them more attractive to viewers. 

How do these people influence teenagers? This closely connects to why so many teenagers follow them - because these influencers help teenagers guide their own identity. As a teenager, many feel insecure and are still coming up with a sense of who they are. These unconventional influencers show that they do not have to abide by societal standards and can act and look as they please. These influencers are role models, providing reassurance to  teenagers.

As social media grows, influencers have a large hold on teenagers. Every day, the algorithm works hard to bring attractive influencers closer than ever to our lives.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Lee

Grade 9

Chadwick International

 

 

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