Wow, so they're basically pretending to be marketers, as a marketing move to market themselves to marketers, in hopes of becoming marketers?

If there's a point on the spectrum that's more "meta" and further away from the idea of "connecting & sharing with friends" I don't know what it is. Maybe it would be whoever's out there marketing themselves as fake followers to help would-be marketers market themselves to marketers? Or marketing themselves as marketing coaches to help would-be marketers market to marketers? You know they're probably out there.

It may not even necessarily be to become marketers. There are certain positive implications about attractiveness and coolness associated with influencers, so some people may just want their "friends" (who are their actual followers) to think that they're influencers.

>Wow, so they're basically pretending to be marketers, as a marketing move to market themselves to marketers, in hopes of becoming marketers?

Isn't that the ages old, "fake it till you make it"?

This is sad. Are these children or adults? Do they have careers and do this as a side gig?

It is very difficult to get a decent job for many people, perhaps they see it as an opportunity for such.

That is old news, been going on for years. Probably a good chunk of the so-called influencers is just such as the once you point out.

Isn't this like the majority of marketing though. Fake it till you make it?