If you asked me a year ago what the term “clout” meant, I probably wouldn’t have been able to answer you.
I’ve always been a little bit behind when it comes to social media trends, so when a friend retweeted something a few months ago calling someone a “clout chaser”, I ended up googling the word.
Google Dictionary describes clout as: “influence or power, especially in politics or business.” It’s recently shot up in popularity, however, due to its use in relation to social media. As Urban Dictionary tells us: “clout is being famous and having influence,” or, more specifically: “wanting attention on social media.”
Earlier this year, Elon Musk declared on Twitter that he was going to donate 1 million trees to Team Trees, a tree planting charity, in response to a Twitter thread about their work. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, shortly followed suit with 150,000.
The organisation was already sparking conversation on social media thanks to American YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, who is attempting to plant 20 million trees around the world by 2020.
Something in common with all of the stars who have donated to Team Trees, however, is that they all have been accused of chasing clout.
Multiple people online seem convinced that the entire campaign is just an attempt to gain followers, likes, and social media attention, and it’s not the only campaign to be faced with this criticism. In fact, it seems that today, any time an influencer starts a campaign for good, they are met with the same comments.
I didn’t even know what the word meant until recently, but I can see the logic behind these accusations. It’s difficult to see a social media announcement and not wonder about the motives behind it, especially when it comes to influencers, who literally make money as a result of their so-called “clout”.
It reminds me a lot of cancel culture – the social media trend of “cancelling” influencers who do something you disagree with by refusing to engage with them online.
While we’ve already heard a number of arguments behind cancel culture’s negative impact, however, clout accusations haven’t stirred up much of an argument yet. It seems harmless, which is probably why, but taking a positive (such as the planting of 1 million trees) and turning it into a negative could, in time, become harmful in nature.
If influencers are starting projects and campaigns that do good, we should support them as much as possible. And who cares if it’s just for clout? 1 million trees are still 1 million trees, whatever the reason behind them.
By Nicola Gray
