Grifting - Modernized

The modern grifter has a new face. They play video games, create playlists of funnies found online and do unboxings of various types. Once they get enough followers, they are able to make money on free to view videos via monetization. While there are many who use monetization of podcasts, articles, videos and other media on different platforms can be used to support creative artists of various types, there is a stark difference from these artists and the grifters.

Specifically, the grifters create content that is largely devoid of meaningful content. This can be likened to the circus, reality television,radio shows, talk shows, penny dreadful's and other such entertainments. The artists would be more akin to documentaries, newspapers, news agencies, public access television, nonfiction works and the like.

While not all of their creations are thought provoking and intellectual, they generally add to the communal and societal conversation in a more meaningful way than those creations more focused on entertainment value. Both types of media and entertainment are valid, useful and needed, however, there are vast differences in who should be taken more seriously.

Videos that are about unboxings, watching video games being played and trying different products are not inherently bad. However, they do not deserve the level of fame, and influence that they currently receive. They are great to help game producers and to help advertise new products and ideas, but they are not generally created by those who are best to influence politics and society in a more professional and direct way.

Influencers should be understood for what they bring to society and our economy, as an entertainer and advertiser. People are treating these entertainers as though they are a different profession than they are, such as politician, doctor, educator and historian. Adam Jones is a good example of this. He mixes the style of radio show host with television infomercial, Pod-caster, author and influencer to create a dedicated following and consumer base.

Because of his large, dedicated and fearful base of followers, he has now gained political clout and power and has influenced politics. Having started as a program host that created fear by airing truly fake news and conspiracy theories, he played on societal problems and focused on anger, hate and verbal and physical violence, he has definitely hurt American society by adding additional fear and hate to our political and societal discussions. While he has not physically attacked others, he uses the idea of being a hyper masculine strongman and discussing physical violence to appeal to a fan-base that identifies with these traits and are experiencing hardships and are fearful of the way that society is changing.

This is something that we will need to learn to navigate and use to better ourselves as a society. Influences have helped to raise money for charitable causes and have championed for good causes,helping many people and helping to create jobs and to bring joy by sheer entertainment factor. However, their reach and power base, both financial, emotional and politically seems to continue to increase.

We already have a celebrity President now and have done so at least twice before. Will we have an Influencer President, too someday? If so, will they be something like President Trump? Or will they be more controversial? While only time will tell, I feel that this is something that we need to discuss as a society, especially with our current national situation in America. We need to make sure that misinformation, fear mongering and hate have less, and preferably no part of, our government and national conversations.

I love watching Influencers and YouTube stars, and listen to many pod-casters. Media needs to be taken within its own context and, in some cases, be more transparent that it is entertainment or that it is discussing personal opinions or selling a possibly useless product. And those hawking “alternative” medical treatments need to plainly be stopped. It will make us a healthier, happier nation in America if we do.