Her World Singapore – September 2019

http://www.herworld.com HerWorldSingapore @herworldsingapore @herworldsg

ThosearethetwoquestionsIfindmyself

increasinglyaskinginthisdigitalage,

wherean“influencer”issomeonewitha

highnumberofInstagramfollowers.

Igoogledthedefinitionofinfluence

andfoundthatitis“thecapacitytohave

aneffectonthecharacter,development,

orbehaviourofsomeoneorsomething,

ortheeffectitself”.

Incidentally,aweekbeforethis

issuewenttoprint,Iwitnessedacaseof

spousalviolence.Myfirstthoughtwas

tostoptheperpetrator,butIwasn’tsure

whatresultsitwouldhave,sobesides

recordingit,Ididn’tdoanythingduring

theincident.

ItooktoInstagramtosharemy

feelings,andasocial-workerfollower

advisedthat“thebestthingyoucoulddo

wasnothingbecausetheabusermight

takehisembarrassmentoutonthe

victimathome”.

Interestingly,shealsosharedthat

asthecouple’syoungchildwaspresent

duringtheviolentact,itwasconsidered

childabuse–afactIdidn’tknow.And

reportingittotheMinistryofSocial

andFamilyDevelopment(MSF)might

bemoreeffectivethanmakingapolice

report,unlessthevictimalreadyhada

personalprotectionorderagainsther

abusivespouse.

So,Ireportedtheincidentto

MSF.ButtosharewhatI’dlearnt,

whatbetterwaythansocialmedia?

Ireachedouttoseveralinfluencers,

askingthemtosharethesocial

worker’smessage.Somedid;therest,

unfortunately,didnot.

Ialsonoticedsomeofmy

Instagramfollowerssharingthe

informationontheirownplatforms

withlessthan 100 followers.Itmade

mewonder:Doesthenumberof

yourfollowersmatterwhenyouhave

“thecapacitytohaveaneffectonthe

character,development,orbehaviour

ofsomeoneorsomething”?

OurHerWorldWomanoftheYear

2019,SusanChong,hasnoInstagram

presence,buthascreatedrealchange

throughhersustainablebusiness

practices.AnnabelleKwok,ourYoung

WomanAchiever2019,whohasjust

over 600 followers,hasbeenanactive

volunteersinceshewas13.

Thetruthis,weallhavethe

capacitytoeffectchangeforthebetter

inthisworld.Andthatisrealinfluence.

• NYL,EDITOR

HW EDITOR’SNOTE

20 HERWORLDSEPT 2019

Fromleft:

Susan

Chongand

Annabelle

Kwok.

What

Is Real

Inuence

and Who

Has It?

herworldsingapore