These days, more and more people use or are joining social media every day. According to the Pew Research Institute, this includes nearly 70% of adults between the ages of 50-64, and 40% of adults 65+. We’re also seeing more and more of our contemporaries become influencers on social media. Some of these folks are already famous, and some have made a name for themselves for a variety of reasons. The content for these influencers vary from fashion to politics to food. They can keep you current on important issues, interesting books to read, or just offer a bit of fun and levity to your day. Here are 10 influencers we recommend following!
What does a London fruit seller know about fashion? Plenty. After a chance photograph rocketed Lance Walsh to unexpected internet fame, he’s since become everyone’s favorite street-wear idol. Favoring clothes by Supreme and Burberry, he’s showing people that hip style can come from anywhere, and at any age. He’s one of the coolest fruit sellers you’ll ever see.
For all you gamers out there, Shirley Curry is a must follow, especially if you enjoy The Elder Scrolls Series. Her humorous commentary and adept gameplay has earned her the nickname “Skyrim Grandma,” as well as over one million YouTube subscribers. She affectionately greets her viewers as “grandkids” and loves exploring new worlds through gaming and social media.
As Lyn Slater’s social media moniker suggests, she became famous when she was photographed and mistaken for a fashion icon at a fashion week. What was she really doing? Just waiting for a friend. Now her incredibly popular social media account ruminates on things far beyond fashion. Her posts are grounded in everyday life, but finds the exceptional and wondrous in the “ordinary.” The posts are inspired by the possibilities and adventures of everyday life, and she looks good while doing it.
Oprah has been considered one of the most influential people for decades now, and that hasn’t changed much. Oprah’s social media presence includes family posts, cute dog pics, book recommendations, interviews, and lifting up the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community. It’s a great way to see fun, behind-the-scenes pics with Oprah and her family, as well as keep up-to-date on significant interviews and her favorite books. Her influence ranges from entertainment to important news and issues. So, if you’ve ever been a fan, following Oprah on social media is a great way to see what she’s up to.
Samuel L. Jackson is often considered one of the coolest, “baddest” dudes in Hollywood, and his social media presence reflects that. Jackson’s posts range from promoting black culture, to movie clips and fun fashion, often including some funny reference to himself. It’s clear that he’s having fun with his social media while sharing important messages at the same time.
Always a breath of fresh air and always entirely herself, Baddiewinkle (A.K.A. Helen Ruth Elam), has gained popularity for her bright personality and unyielding style. Her “youthful” style (because style doesn’t belong to any specific age) has gotten her various endorsement deals and interviews, while becoming an internet icon. If you appreciate people who refuse to follow a cookie-cutter existence, look no further. She breaks boundaries and barriers with every post and we love it!
Or as she’s known on TikTok, @msgrandmasgarden, often begins her videos with a cordial, “Hi, welcome to grandma’s garden. Come on in.” It’s a welcoming missive that makes you feel like a family member or close friend. Wayne, who didn’t know what TikTok was just a couple years ago, can thank her granddaughter for her newfound fame.
“One day my garden was very pretty and I got all excited about that and I asked her if she would take some pictures of me,” says Wayne in an interview with the Associated Press. “She said she was going to put me on TikTok and I said, well, what is TikTok? I had never heard of it.”
Together, they’ve built quite the following, amassing nearly 140,000 followers and over a million likes. On her page, Wayne, with her sweet and easy-going nature, shares videos of her gorgeous garden, recipes, and nourishment for the soul.
“I realized life starts at 71 years old,” says @korea_grandma (and we love that sentiment), a travel and cooking influencer who owns and runs a restaurant, while making videos for over a million Youtube subscribers. Her posts range from cooking videos and meal pictures to travel and family photos. With Korean food and culture having come to full bloom throughout the world, Korea Grandma could help you get hip to what’s popular these days, learn some new recipes, and/or inspire a future trip!
If you’re looking for inspiration to get into or stay in shape, Joan MacDonald is a great story and social media presence for you. She went from weighing 200 lbs and having a slew of health struggles at 70 years old to losing 60 lbs and chiseling out a fantastic, healthy physique. Now, she looks greater than ever and helps inspire people of all ages to take charge of their health and well being.
In conclusion, whatever your interests are, there’s a good chance that you can find a social media influencer out there for you. Following an influencer can offer many things. They can be inspirational, they can stoke your creativity, they can give you style ideas (helping you express yourself), they can teach you to cook new things, they can help keep you informed, and they can bring some much-needed levity to your day.
Whomever you choose to follow, make sure to take any influencer with a grain of salt. They’re not the authority of anything, just people who do things their own way and can help encourage you to do the same! And if you don’t see an influencer doing something you’re looking for or are interested in, maybe you could be that influencer? Don’t underestimate yourself, and have fun!