The long arms of the government have now reached even social media influencers.
Other than acting and hosting, Desmond Koh sells stuff on Shopee via livestreams; now he’s also a social media influencer who got to take a photo with Singapore’s newly-minted Prime Minister.
Early this month, the ruling People’s Action Party hosted a gathering for people like Koh and other content creators, many of whom have thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. Social media was soon flooded with images of influencers posing with politicians. This raised questions among critics about whether the influencers were compensated for their attendance and posts. A Hong Kong newspaper even ran an article on June 14th with the headline “Singapore’s influencers rub shoulders with Lawrence Wong, PAP members – is it a ‘sell-out’?”
Whether the influencers were paid or not is beside the point. Content creation is fundamentally a profit-driven business. It’s rare to find a blog or Instagram account that isn’t compensated for promoting a restaurant or product. Instagram is even rife with ads selling fake Rolexes and fake doctorate degrees. (Many influencers are also willing to promote for free simply to gain more notoriety?)
What worries me is the government’s relentless effort to infiltrate every segment of society to garner support. They need votes, so it’s understandable. However, this means that every message we see is potentially biased, crafted to favor the government. Each piece of content becomes a tool to influence us.
This is why my trust in the government has eroded further. The mainstream media already aligns closely with the government’s stance, and now the government is attempting to dominate social media as well. Once they gain a foothold, control follows. In fact, gaining dominance is already a form of control.
In many countries, politicians employ teams of spin doctors and propagandists to manage their social media presence, crafting every message to perfection. This practice is pervasive and insidious. That the government’s reach now extends to social media influencers is a point worth taking note of, particularly in a country like Singapore, where internet penetration is over 95% and about 85% of the population are social media users.
Singaporeans, regardless of age, appear to be chronically online. We stare at our phones even when walking and eating. It’s no surprise that politicians want to conquer social media. Soon, dissenting voices will become even scarcer as people start conforming to the behaviors of their peers, a phenomenon known as herd mentality. It makes lemmings seem like independent thinkers.
One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.
Solution? Question everything!
By internalizing a questioning mindset, you will sharpen your ability to discern, ultimately enhancing your chances of success.