The glitz and glamour on social media often kept people glued to their screens. The best pictures would only be saved for Instagram. Life on Instagram was and still is carefully curated with the help of aesthetic backgrounds, filters and outfits. The world saw a huge surge in the number of influencers in recent times. Who would have thought that you can make a living by influencing other people to spend theirs? Our grandmothers would have scratched their heads in confusion on this profession choice.
It didn’t take much time for the world to grasp the concept of influencers. Everywhere, people got famous for reviewing products and making vlogs of their lifestyles. However unusual this career choice was, it helped many people to become self-reliant. But this mainly helped the people who already had a great education and professional experience. As the reel culture got stronger, social media became a symbol for flaunting one’s way of life. The social media monopoly started belonging to the big influencers.
Lately, social media has somewhat diminished this social barrier between different social strata. Fame is no longer connected with the sophistication of so-called influencers. The masses are inclining more towards the content that they can relate to. Someone who is going through the same realities of life as them.
Talha Ahmed is an example of this. With a whopping 959k followers on Instagram, he brings laughter and joy to the screen. His comedy sketches mirror his exceptional observation skills, and people relate to them because of how close they are to reality. Talha doesn’t shoot in aesthetic backgrounds, nor does he flaunt his lifestyle. Talha is a thalassemic patient and often uses his videos to indirectly raise awareness about his condition and how it affects his everyday life. He uses humour as a way to break the stigma surrounding this condition. He’s a source of inspiration for people who don’t let their illnesses define them, but rather make them their strength.
Muhammad Arshad has also become one of the biggest content creators of Pakistan. He is known as Arshad Reels on Instagram. His popularity surpassed India as well. He comes from rural Sialkot and is not shy to show what his life is like living in a rural area with limited resources. He worked as a factory contractor who randomly started making videos with his family. His videos often feature his wife and children. People love the way he lives a simple life full of values and morals. His popularity helped him to build a comfortable life for his family. Even after 989k followers on Instagram and gaining brand deals, he still chooses to live in his village. When floods hit his hometown and ravaged destruction, he used his platform to raise funds to help his people. He continues to be the beacon of hope for people who want to start with limited resources.
Shehzaadi Samra is a rising content creator who recently starred in the Pakistani movie “Aag Lage Basti Mein” as a supporting cast member along with Mahira Khan and Fahad Khan. Samra rose to fame through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Samra didn’t let her dwarfism define her. She gained prominence due to her comedy and acting sketches. She has paved the way for inclusion in the digital space and sparked a driving force in other small creators to not give up and keep making content.
The list could go on. But these influencers have affirmed that you can make your dreams come true with your hard work and passion. It doesn’t matter where you come from, but how you rise above your circumstances and move forward.