What it means for Akothee to get social media verification

Image result for Akothee using her phone
Excited Akothee Photo: Courtesy

Over the years we have slowly been living a breathing scial media. If you think about it, the revolution of the internet has done so much good to our lives. On Monday Evening, it was a special night for Esther Akoth alias Akothee as Instargram verified her account making it stand out with a blue tick. She could not withold her joy but let the world know she was verified. So what doe sthis exactly mean?

People now rank others on the basis of their followers and their verification, that one blue tick might increase or decrease the reputation or in some bring authority and influence.

This was not common back in the days, however, with the huge demand for social media influencers in the business, things are now becoming more dramatic. Brands now prefer social media influencers with an organic audience, better reach, good content but also the โ€œblue tickโ€.

For some of us getting verified on Instagram might not be appealing, others want it for business purpose whereas the majority just wants to brag in front of their friendsโ€™ circle. Getting a bluetick for most people is used as a sign of status. Only the most popular and influential Instagrammers will ever see it. It has proven hard for people to get verified on Instagram. Maybe that’s why Akothee was excited?

Most of the other social networks have similar verification or status symbols. It should be no surprise that Facebook, Instagramโ€™s owner, operates a similar verification scheme, also using a white tick on a blue background as its symbol. Twitter has run its verification of influencer’s Profile since 2009.

It is important to remember what these symbols mean. The social networks have not designed them to represent status. They were created to signify authenticity. The term โ€œverifiedโ€ indicates that Instagram (or another social network) has made an effort to ensure that you are who you say you are.

Photo: Twitter

Verification on Instagram ensures that people can find the correct account when they search for a particular celebrity or influencer. A verified account belongs to โ€œthe real deal.โ€ It is not a fan account, a tribute account, or a fake account.

However, Instagram only wants to verify people whom they deem important enough for somebody to want to set up fake accounts or imitate. If you are a โ€œnormalโ€ person, there is no reason for somebody to impersonate you and so, it becomes meaningless for Instagram to give you a verification.

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