With the widespread use of social media apps and sites, anyone can call themselves a ‘social media influencer’ these days. 

It’s a title that comes with a delightful number of perks: Exclusive invitations to events that common folk never get to attend in their lifetime, and the constant offers of free food and beauty products in exchange for a post or two on your social media accounts. If you can make a name for yourself, that is.

With the increasing number of people battling for the title of “influencer”, going from a nobody to a Somebody can prove to be quite a challenge.

Cue social media marketing startup FavesAsia, which provides a platform for aspiring influencers, also known as ‘personalities’, to make themselves known.

In a recruitment advertisement posted on Tuesday (April 4), FavesAsia tried to reel in prospective personalities with a video showing the journey to fame for an aspiring social media influencer.

Unfortunately, the sheer materialism and unrealisticness of the three-minute clip left viewers slack-jawed in disgust. The cringe-worthy clip, which was initially posted on Facebook, has since been taken down.

For those who wish to spend the next 3 minutes and 36 seconds of your life in a more productive way, here’s the video in pictures.

A girl, henceforth known as Aspiring Influencer, is sitting alone at a cafe, swiping through an Instagrammer’s profile.

Her friend then joins her and asks why she looks so down. Aspiring Influencer explains that she’s envious of said Instagrammer for having so many followers and sponsorships.

She even adds that she is such a huge fan of the Instagrammer that she knows what underwear the Instagrammer wears. That’s too much information, if you ask us.

Unfazed, Nice Friend then introduces her to FavesAsia, and the mechanics of how FavesAsia works are explained to the viewer in an abrupt voiceover.

The video skips to two months later, and Aspiring Influencer is seen eating with her friends at a cafe, before they head off to do their nails together. They then wrap up the day with a beach party or two. All the glitz and glamour, really!

Six months pass, and a Maserati that Aspiring Influencer is sitting in pulls up in front of a building.

Four bouquet-wielding fanboys immediately approach the car, and the driver – Aspiring Influencer’s new boyfriend, perhaps? – appears surprised at their presence. We were surprised too: usually, only K-pop idol groups receive such raucous welcomes from their fans here.

Aspiring Influencer then bashfully explains that she wouldn’t have dreamt of having so many fans if not for FavesAsia.

Aspiring Influencer is next seen at a networking event, with presumably other high-flying influencers. She’s worked her way up from one thousand followers to joining the ranks of the influencers, with a fanbase to boot, after all.

The most worrisome part about this video is neither the shabby acting nor the dubious plot.

Instead, it is the message that it is sending to its viewers.

The video implies that young aspiring influencers could possibly be able to enjoy a life of fame and riches without much effort other than looking pretty and perhaps writing a sponsored post once in a while.

There are many things wrong with this: being an influencer is nowhere as easy as it looks, and the emphasis that FavesAsia places on beauty, both on the site and in its ad, promotes a materialistic and shallow culture that looks only skin-deep and no further.

After all, if fame were that easy to attain, then why is it that there are only so few influencers who truly make their mark? Wouldn’t we all be fighting to become big-name influencers of our own as well, instead of slogging our days away at our desks?

Established social media influencers added their own two cents across different platforms.

A cast member of local Youtube channel WahBanana, Terence Then, wondered in a Facebook post what the video was trying to portray to the viewers.

In his Instagram post, he added: “Yes we are all humans, you must be thinking who doesn’t want fame. Who doesn’t want to be recognised and who doesn’t want to be sponsored. But you need to understand all these doesn’t LAST one bit. Why be blinded and chase things that doesn’t last? Isn’t that of less value than the things you can actually build to last?”

 

Saw this video on Facebook and I felt the need to talk about it because i’m so burdened by it. Basically in short, it’s about a girl complaining that she is sad and jealous of a girl she’s stalking on IG because she has not as much followers and no sponsorships. Her Friend then introduces her to FAVESASIA platform. The next part of the video shows her getting sponsored food at a cafe. Sponsored SPA. Going to parties. And finally being driven in a fancy sports car with fans waiting outside the MASERATI and her Boyfriend saying “eh so many fans already ah? Remember to smile ok?” 。 Seriously what on earth is this shit? And most importantly what are you trying to portray to our younger generation? The impact of what you portray could mean a huge deal to clueless young teens growing up. Dear kids and teenagers you do have the freedom of choice to believe what you want. but please please please do not be influenced by such misleading content you see everywhere. Life isn’t about this. It’s much more than all the shallow things they are portraying in the video. You DO NOT need more followers. you DO NOT need to more sponsorships. You DO NOT need to be jealous of the people you see on Instagram. Yes we are all humans, you must be thinking who doesn’t want fame. Who doesn’t want to be recognised and who doesn’t want to be sponsored. But you need to understand all these doesn’t LAST one bit. Why be blinded and chase things that doesn’t last? Isn’t that of less value than the things you can actually build to last? 。 A house must be build on solid foundation if it’s to last. The same goes for men. Build on your character and your gifts instead and success will definitely come in many ways. Paving your way to a happy and meaningful life. You do not always need affirmation from the world to know your worth. You definitely DO NOT need fame and followers and sponsorships and all that kind of stuffs to determine that. You are already an abundance of worth when you enter this world and you need to know that. Don’t be blinded. Especially the younger generation who are growing up together with this digital social media age. Look further. Please look much further and deeper.

A post shared by terencethen (邓国强) (@terencethen) on Apr 3, 2017 at 8:37pm PDT

Another influencer, Nellie Lim, expressed her disgust at how the industry was portrayed in the video and emphasised that true influencers were not influencers for want of the material rewards they got out of their job.

She wrote in a Facebook post: “If you’re only doing it because you want followers, sponsorships, media invites, fans and a boy who drives you around in a sports car, DON’T. Do it because you love creating content. Do it because you love working on social media strategies. Do it because you love what you do and not what you’ll get out of it.”

Local celebrity blogger Xiaxue, one of the pioneers of the industry, also weighed in on the issue. Although she did not watch the video, she wrote in a response to an anonymous query on ask.fm that if aspiring influencers wish to be “materialistic and fame hungry”, nobody has any right to tell them to not be.

However, she added that the fame levels promised by FavesAsia were highly unrealistic, and nearly “impossible to achieve”.

pariel@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE – The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Tuesday (April 4) warned the public against buying or consuming a traditional herbal remedy that contains undeclared potent ingredients which cause steroid-induced side effects.

The advisory came after a woman who took it regularly was diagnosed with diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome.

The product, named PHQ 1001 Khasiat Penawar Herba Qaseh Serata Herb, was marketed as a traditional herbal remedy for several medical conditions such as kidney diseases, impotence, pain and stroke, HSA said in a press release on Tuesday.

It was sold on social media platforms and online sites based overseas.

A woman in her 60s took the product regularly for a few months, hoping to cure her knee pain. While she experienced rapid pain relief, she also put on weight rapidly and developed a puffy face.

She was eventually diagnosed with diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome, a condition caused by prolonged ingestion of steroids and characterised by a round face and obesity in the upper body, with thin limbs.

The conditions were likely to have been caused by a potent steroid, dexamethasone, found in the product, HSA said.

The woman’s doctor said a few of her friends who also took the product experienced similar weight gain, likely caused by the steroids in the product.

The undeclared potent ingredients found in the illegal product are: dexamethasone, a potent steroid which, with long-term use, can cause Cushing’s syndrome, high blood pressure, diabetes and an increased risk of infections; piroxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can cause gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting and gastric bleeding; anti-fungal drug griseofulvin, which can cause headaches and serious effects such as liver injuries and Stevens-Johnson syndrome; and paracetamol, an over-the-counter drug for relief of fever and pain.

HSA in its release warned those who sell the product to stop immediately. It is illegal to sell and supply complementary health products containing undeclared potent Western medicines. Those convicted of the offence can be jailed for up to three years and or fined up to $100,000.

Those with information on the sale or supply of the product can contact HSA’s enforcement branch on 6866-3485 or e-mail hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg

HSA also issued the following advice for the public:

– Consult a doctor as soon as possible if you have been taking the product;

– If you have been taking the product for more than a few weeks, stopping suddenly without proper medical supervision can cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, confusion and low blood pressure, so do consult a doctor;

– Exercise caution when buying health products online or from unfamiliar sources, even when they are recommended by friends or relatives;

– Be wary of complementary health products such as supplements and traditional medicines that promise quick results for chronic medical conditions, as they may contain prescription medicines that should be taken only with medical supervision;

Members of the public can visit www.healthdangers.sg to learn more about the dangers of buying illegal health products from questionable sources.

This article was first published on April 4, 2017.
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THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will take developers to task if they misrepresent important information about the units they are selling to prospective home-buyers.

Making this point in parliament on Tuesday, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong stressed that it is mandatory for developers to provide a drawn-to-scale floor plan of the unit.

They must also present a detailed breakdown of the area by various types of spaces, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, air-conditioner ledges and balconies.

This information must be given to prospective home-buyers before they pay the booking fee for an option to purchase the unit.

The floor area of various types of spaces, including air-con ledges and balconies, must also be accurately represented in the show-flats.

Mr Wong was replying to queries posed by backbencher Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC).

Read also: The making of a global developer

Earlier, Mr Ang had asked if the URA is reviewing the rule of allowing developers to build large air-con ledges and balconies for non-landed residential properties without them being counted as part of the gross floor area, and yet are allowed to be charged to buyers for such space.

He also wanted to know if URA would make it mandatory to state the floor areas dedicated for balconies, air-con ledges and other outdoor space in the floor plans of properties during their launches.

In his reply, Mr Wong noted that URA grants gross floor area (GFA) exemptions to achieve certain planning objectives.

For instance, air-con ledges that are less than one metre in width are exempted from GFA in order to encourage developers to house air-con condensers neatly in residential developments. Balconies, however, are not exempt from GFA and developers must pay the development charge for them, said Mr Wong, adding that the rules on what constitutes GFA are publicly available on URA’s website.

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“Developers factor in strata area when pricing units in their developments. Strata area measures the amount of floor space that is sold to the buyer, on the basis that the space is for the buyer’s exclusive enjoyment,” he noted. “As both balconies and air-con ledges solely serve individual units, they are considered to be strata area, and hence, chargeable to the buyer.”

Mr Wong advised all home-buyers to review all the information given to them by the developer so as to make an informed decision over their purchases.

This article was first published on Apr 05, 2017.
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Jeremiah Liauw, 10, cannot walk, but he can ride – by moving just his arms – and will do that for 25km this month to raise funds for charity.

He was born with spina bifida, which affects his spine and causes his lower body to be weak. So, instead of riding a bicycle, he will hand-cycle in Ride for Rainbows to raise funds for Club Rainbow, which helps children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin will also take part and cycle 100km.

This is a first for him, and the first time that a minister is cycling that distance in the annual event, which is in its sixth edition this year.

The fund-raiser on April 29 has three segments: Cyclists can ride 100km, 50km or 25km. The last segment was added to this year’s event to commemorate the charity’s 25th anniversary.

As of last night, more than $494,000 had been raised. More than $650,000 was raised last year.

Mr Tan is the top fund-raiser so far, having garnered more than $34,000 in donations, while Jeremiah has raised over $7,000.

The St Joseph’s Institution Junior pupil told The Straits Times: “I want to help the children from Club Rainbow.” He is also a beneficiary of the charity.

His mother, housewife Michele Liauw, 41, said: “We raised to him the suggestion of joining this event, as we knew he’s got good arm strength. He was game for it. ” She will also join the 25km ride with her husband and their 14-year-old son.

Jeremiah started hand-cycling in 2015, and then spent more time going for para-swimming training sessions. But he resumed his hand-cycling training a few weeks ago to prepare for the 25km ride.

He has been training with the Para Cycling Federation of Singapore for about two hours every Saturday, hand-cycling around the track in ITE College East in Simei.

Since the age of four, he has also been an inspirational sports hero. In 2010, he crawled – with knee guards, and shoes on his feet and hands – to the finish line during the 750m Kids Dash event of the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

Last year, he bagged three gold medals at the Singapore Press Holdings Foundation National Para-Swimming Championships.

Club Rainbow president Sashikumar Ganapathy said: “It is an example of the courage our children have in facing the challenges of their illnesses. It’s also heartening to see that a beneficiary is willing to raise funds for his charity and start giving back at such a young age.”

Jeremiah said: “I think the ride is going to be fun. It’s good to be able to have fun while raising funds.”

goyshiyi@sph.com.sg

To donate, go to www.rideforrainbows.org

This article was first published on April 5, 2017.
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Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli yesterday criticised an opposition MP’s tendency to raise divisive issues relating to the Malay/Muslim community in Parliament.

At the debate on supporting the aspirations of women in Singapore, Workers’ Party MP Faisal Manap (Aljunied GRC) called for Muslim nurses and uniformed officers to be allowed to wear the tudung at work.

He said countries like Australia and Britain allowed this, and asked when Singapore would do so.

Responding, Mr Masagos said he found Mr Faisal’s approach “worrisome”, as he had used the motion “to focus on differences instead of rallying people to be united”.

“He dwells on issues that can injure or hurt the feelings of the community rather than inspire them. In fact, Mr Faisal has used many occasions to raise potentially discordant issues in this House,” he said.

He cited issues Mr Faisal raised in past sittings, such as the need for halal kitchens in navy ships and the perceived discrimination against Malays in the armed forces.

He asked: “Is it his or his party’s position that these issues are the top concerns of the community?”

The minister said Mr Faisal’s approach needled the community’s sensitivity “subtly and frequently”.

“It leaves a lingering feeling of (something) unsolved and unsolvable, and impatience that one day I believe will explode. Is that what Mr Faisal wants?” he asked.

Mr Masagos noted that the Government had replied to Mr Faisal’s queries before. He would not say more but stressed that “we are in a multiracial society and we all have a role to play to enlarge our common space”.

Religion is important, he said.

“I, too, want to see progress in the tudung issue and religious matters that are dear to Muslims,” he added.

But government and community leaders of all races and faiths were discussing such deeply emotive matters behind closed doors.

“There is a right time, a right place and right way to discuss this,” he said. “The way to make progress is gradually and quietly, working under the radar to strengthen mutual trust and understanding among Singaporeans, so that we can move forward step by step.”

In contrast, championing issues “in a higher-profile way like the member always does once in a while, using them to score political points, will not strengthen trust”.

“It will only raise the temperature and actually make the problems harder to solve,” Mr Masagos said.

He cited an old social media post by Mr Faisal, in which he posed for a photo during the Wear White campaign in 2014 with Zulfikar Shariff, who was arrested under the Internal Security Act last year for his support for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Mr Masagos said: “It makes us wonder whether it is Mr Faisal who is supporting Mr Zulfikar or Mr Zulfikar supporting Mr Faisal, or are they together in this because of a common cause.”

Mr Faisal replied that he was there to support only Wear White, which opposes homosexuality. “I’m not so sure what’s behind (the) minister’s mind when he tried to link me to Zulfikar, and I’m a bit distraught by his effort to paint me negatively.”

He disagreed he was sowing discord and said that as an elected MP, he had the right to voice the concerns of his community in Parliament.

Mr Masagos said Mr Faisal was “not repentant or apologetic”, and “insists his strident approach is the correct way”, although it puts Singapore’s racial harmony at risk.

“If each community pushes its own claims aggressively, there will be pushback, there will be animosity,” said the minister.

Citing the case of the imam who was on Monday found guilty of offensive remarks on Christians and Jews and fined, and the ensuing calm reaction all round, he added that this was because Singapore had tended to its racial and religious harmony fastidiously.

Mr Faisal replied that all he had been asking since he was elected was for the Government to address the issue: “How does that cause divisiveness and discord?”

Mr Masagos pointed to his “practice of subtly and frequently bringing issues that are sensitive to the community, knowing (they are) not easy to resolve and cleverly turning it into a state versus religion issue.”

“These are all very dangerous moves. I actually wonder whether the WP and its leadership are committed to the racial and religious harmony which underpins the security of this country,” he added.

“Do you want to go back to the politics of race and religion of the 1960s, the politics we wanted to avoid when we left Malaysia? If we don’t want that, why do we let a member constantly raise these issues to stir the community?”

charyong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Apr 05, 2017.
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