For influencers, social justice is no more than a branding device

Just like their bland aesthetic, social media stars’ low-risk, high-gain activism has become a core part of how they attract attention, writes Rachel Connolly

Influencer Molly-Mae Hague was criticised for a comment interpreted as a shocking revelation of her Thatcherite worldview. Picture: Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Who should be famous? There are people who are so brilliant at — and dedicated to — what they do that their work makes the world seem bigger and more exciting. 

Watching them act, hearing them sing, reading their writing, or seeing their art can make you feel like something inside you is waking up, like there is more to life than work, bills, and shopping. It really hits you. There are people who live wild, fascinating lives, full of stories that remind you rules can be broken.