We live in a very interesting time. Nope, not talking about AI this time. I’m talking about the expansion of king (or queen) makers.

What was once a small group of Upper East Side elites or Hollywood gatekeepers has been somewhat democratized, thanks to the growing power of influencers on social media. However, this expansion of power has led to some interesting dynamics. Because the allure of being “made” by one of these influencers feels within reach for more people, we now have swaths of folks throwing themselves at power, hoping to be plucked from the crowd for a moment of fame.

It happens all the time.

Some of the bigger examples, like Hawk Tuah girl, show just how quickly this can happen. A random street interview turns into a meteoric rise, driven by the power of influencers. But depending on who you talk to, that rise was followed by an (un)timely fall from grace. Smaller examples might not make waves for the masses, but when someone with digital power shines a spotlight on you, it can create lifelong changes.

It’s absolutely wild to watch. One post on X (formerly twitter), gets reshared by a few big names, and suddenly, your account is blowing up. And if you manage to collect a few influencers like Pokémon, your account can blow up.

It’s not just people, either. Products get this influencer bump all the time. I’m not telling you anything new here, the influencer market is worth over $10 billion. If your product ends up on the good side of the right influencers? Relax, king, you’ve made it.

So, is this a good or bad thing?

Honestly, I think it’s great. It’s amazing to see the reins of power spread to more people. When more wealth and influence are shared across a wider group, that’s a win for humanity. But let’s not ignore the second-order effects.

The pursuit of influence is alluring, but it's impossible for everyone to make it. I mean, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that hopes my writing or streaming takes me to full-time content creator status. I know I’ll probably never be a kingmaker, but being able to make this my full focus? That’d be amazing.

And honestly, it’s good for society when more people enter the conversation through their chosen forms of expression.

I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about AI, but we have to. Just a little.

The Dead Internet Theory isn’t something I really came across until after reading Neal Stephenson’s Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, where he talks about the Miasma. If you’re unfamiliar, the Miasma is this ever-present, invisible digital haze. A fog of noise, spam, misinformation, and automated junk that makes it harder to find anything real online.

And I can't help but shake the feeling we are heading straight for it.

Generative AI makes it ridiculously easy to produce and publish content. And right now, there are huge incentives to flood the internet with it. Ad revenue, creator revenue shares, you name it, it’s all pushing us toward a denser fog.

As that fog descends, the value of people who can pluck authenticity from the noise and raise it above the haze becomes even more critical.

I have no doubt that influencers with taste are going to become even more powerful. They’ll continue to be elevated in status, income, and a stronger influence over the masses.

We’re living in a time where it’s never been easier to create content, but it’s also never been harder to cut through the noise. And who else but the king (and queen) makers of society to set the tone and conversation for the next batch of humanity?