Nowadays even though we don’t accept it we know that Social media has a huge influence on the entertainment industry and celebrities. With the intention to get along the pace of this progressive world, each one of us craves to find a way that would help in strengthening not only the professional relations but the personal bonds as well. And there comes the platform of social media, proving to be an ultimate answer to all the questions.
The recent upsurge in the number of social media users, who opt for fraudulent methods to increase their followers, evidently talks of this dirty game. This is to note, that the major section of such people comprise of the newbies of the film and fashion industry. Attempting to grab people’s attention, bargaining of likes on facebook, instagram and twitter is carried on vividly.
Contradicting to the facts, Dale Bhagwagar, the Bollywood PR guru known for publicizing some of the now-renowned names of bollywood says, “The practice of building an impression by buying fake followers and ‘likes’ is not so common with Bollywood yet. In my opinion, not more than 15 percent film industry folks would have actually bought followers for their Twitter accounts and ‘likes’ for their Facebook at any time in their lives. However, as any malpractice, this one too is slowly growing.”
Throwing light on the possible reasons that might be the cause of indulging in such malpractices, Dale further adds, “Sadly, most film stars and even newcomers trying to make it big in Bollywood lead quite an isolated life. They are loners and recluses, mostly surrounded by yes-men (also known as chamchas). The film stars are a very insecure lot, knowing well that all glory is fleeting. Thus to prop themselves up in the eyes of others, they want to portray themselves as better than their contemporaries on Social Media. Their jealousy for others also leads them to buying followers to give a perception of magnanimity. It’s a false ego-boost, as ultimately in their heart, they know where they really stand. So basically, such a practice only feeds their insecurity further.”
He mentions it as a practice that will ultimately lead to more depression, disappointment and loneliness, Dale further condemns it at the personal front. While on the other side, the experts have quite a different take on the issue.
During a conversation with a web tech expert, Vipul Jain, who has also been the consultant to cyber cops in India, recommends to hire the professionals for the sake of social media publicity. “Social media is a boon if used in the correct manner. Though it’s not an issue to take aid in boosting the fan following, the choice of method is quite relevant here. There are some fake sites that bully and provide no value to your social media account. Celebrities should hire a professional team of social media management or use authentic sites for having relevant and strong fan following. There are many sites which work ethically to promote your page.”
To understand such websites, we spoke with Mr. Subhin John, owner of buylikesservices.com who gave honest views and seemed to agree with what Mr. Jain has to say. “It looks industry is growing all together with organic as well as fake followers. The effect of fake followers can cause engagement loss to celebrities on a big level, which will definitely irritate them”, added John.
