According to several recent articles and advisories I’ve read quoting infectious disease specialists, including from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”), many Gen Y and Gen Z-ers (I’ll now refer to them in this article the “Gens”) have been ignoring “Stay at Home” orders, social distancing, and other advice of medical experts on steps to take to avoid getting and spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus. The result is that many of these Gens have contracted COVID-19 and are likely spreading it.
There appear to be several reasons for this. There’s been a lot of misinformation online, such as that Gens were immune to COVID-19, it was much harder for Gens to get it, and if they did, the symptoms would be mild, if not non-existent. We now know that none of this is true.
Another reason is that Gens are (often rightly) suspicious of what the mainstream media and government say. So, they’ve taken that advice about the virus as being blown out of proportion.
This is where I think influencers can provide a tremendous service. Their followers trust them for their authenticity. They feel a strong connection with them. Influencers and their followers are often close in age. They’ll take what a favorite influencer of theirs posts about the truth of COVID-19 more seriously.
That can save lives. Here’s some suggestions of what I think influencers should be posting about the virus. This information mostly comes from infectious disease specialists, including the CDC:
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Young people of all ages across the country have gotten seriously ill from it. At least one has died — so far.
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Many college students, on spring break in Cabo and Florida have gotten it. See here and here.
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A CDC report found that 20% of U.S. cases were among people ages 20 to 44.
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Nearly half of new coronavirus cases in California and New York were people between ages 18 and 49.
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It’s super infectious. Gens can have no symptoms but infect a lot of others with the virus, including parents and grandparents, who are at much higher risk for serious illness or death. Asymptomatic people are some of the most common transmitters, because they don’t take the precautions that sick people do.
Gens can use their tech and social abilities to spread correct information. They “have the power and ability to help amplify accurate information and recommendations about the virus from reliable sources” says the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse.
Many influencers, including almost all the influencers I represent, also post about societal issues for which they’re passionate, such as body shaming and bullying. The responses from followers that I’ve seen are almost always positive and thankful.
COVID-19 is the world’s current, if not all-time, most serious issue. I believe influencers’ social platforms make them uniquely positioned to help lessen its’ deadly effects, and eventually beat it. Influencers, please act now!
#influencerssavelives!, #theinfluencerlawyer, #stopCOVID19!, #justsayin’
PLEASE REPOST THIS IF YOU’RE AN INFLUENCER, KNOW OR FOLLOW ANY INFLUENCERS, OR HAVE ANY INFLUENCER FOLLOWERS. Thanks.
Paul I. Menes
The Influencer Lawyer ®
(310) 286-1313