There used to be a time when you were not supposed to be famous for nothing and if you wanted to be recognized, you had to really work hard to hone your skills if not your God-given talent.

Sadly, that is no longer the case. Now individuals who are devoid of talent and creativity or even intelligence can become popular.

Their videos go viral, even if their contents are garbage. Since validations come in the form of likes and shares, the goal is to increase followers and, in the process, monetize the likes and views garnered.

This is why most influencers focus their energies on marketing and branding, even hiring savvy publicists who can create personas that attract attention more than developing their respective talents. Without going on the grind, they get to be famous and therefore wield influence.

There used to be a time when an influencer was someone who was knowledgeable in his field and could aptly participate in decision-making processes. Now influencers are those who either display their cleavage or share their absurdly tasteless videos. You can see them endorsing political candidates or advancing certain causes albeit they do not know any better.

Director Darryl Yap is a case in point. In fairness, he is creative and has got tremendous amount of potential to make a difference. But because he becomes well-known that easily, he expends so much energy making controversial content instead of crafting movies that really say something significant. Since he is popular, he entertains the illusion that he is great, can do whatever he wants and even disrespects those who came before him.

There are of course a lot of reasons why this is the prevailing paradigm in this age of social media.

Since platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Facebook allow anyone to share content, even those with limited talent can showcase their wares so to speak for as long as their personality and the drama they bring can attract attention. Indeed, this democratization of opportunities could dilute in the process what should constitute quality content.

The fact that most videos posted only run for a few minutes means that anyone can view them as they appear on their newsfeeds as dictated by algorithms. They do not necessarily have to like them. They may even hate them but at the end of the day, viral is viral.

This is not of course to say that this is bad. At the end of the day, community standards evolve and such cultural shift is a necessary consequence of prevailing technological breakthroughs.

Besides, when the dust settles, it still ultimately boils down to talent. Because fame or even infamy to a certain extent does not equate with legacy.

Those who profit from their sheer popularity will soon be forgotten after everything is said and done. But those who contribute to our ever-evolving civilization will forever be etched in the hearts of those whose lives are touched and influenced.

When I was young, courage pertained to a person who was willing to die for his country at all costs or who could face all odds to better himself in the process. Today, bravery refers to a chubby girl who loves to post Tiktok dance videos wearing bikinis and skimpy outfits.

Not saying it’s bad. Just our zeitgeist and then some.