JOANNA Joseph is something of a girl wonder on social media. She has a sizeable following on Facebook for her journey through weight loss.
Given that she also won the Miss Selangor Earth beauty contest in 2016 makes her a legitimate authority of sorts on ways to stay in shape, and social media has made it easy for her to spread her message.
Joanna is not alone. From evangelists to politicians, social media has increasingly replaced newspapers, TV or radio as a medium to get message across to the masses and, more significantly, it has become a powerful tool to influence thoughts, desires and assumptions.
Opinion pieces in newspapers or talk shows on TV and radio do not get the kind of attention or the reach that social media can garner.
The growing dependence on social media, from raising and discussing current issues to selling a product or an idea, is inevitable.
According to datareportal.com, which tracks social media use, there were 3.484 billion active social media users worldwide, making up 45% of world population, as of 2019.
The rate of increase in use of social media is about 9% a year, far outstripping the rate of population increase, which was only 1.1% in 2019.
As of January 2020, 81% of Malaysians have become active social media users, up from 60% in 2016, according to data from Statista, a provider of consumer and market data.
Just like Joanna, many have found careers as influencers on social media.
For 24-year-old Joanna, the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown have made social media even more an essential tool to spread her message and to promote her book on her favourite subject.
Joanna told theSun that she started by uploading her story on weight loss on Facebook and it quickly went viral, not just locally, but around the world.
“That was when I realised that I could put my social media account to good use.”
She said many of her fans have posted messages about their own experience in battling the bulge and how they have succeeded with her method.
She has even begun to vouch for various health and beauty brands and products on social media for a fee.
“I enjoy inspiring people. I know many have experienced issues such as body shaming but do not dare to speak up.
“I’m doing this to empower women,” she said.
Psychologist Dr Hawa Rahmat explained that the phenomenon, which she refers to as “social influence”, is a way to shift attitudes, values or actions.
“There are three types of social influence – conformity, enforcement of obedience and minority influence,” the senior lecturer at Multimedia University said.
Hawa believes social media works because people are under pressure to conform with social norms.
“Conformity is a social force that requires a shift of faith or behaviour to fit into a community. People don’t want to be seen as different, especially in their own community,” she explained.
Media expert Adlene Aris, also of Multimedia University, said such influencers often have a dedicated group of followers.
“Brands look at this before appointing an influencer to help promote their products, and influencers, who have good rapport with their followers, are highly likely to persuade them into purchasing goods or services that they review on their social media platform,” she said.
