Social media in today's conformist society a case study on Germany's social media activism and its genuineness

As social media and its user count grows, the importance of it grows along with it. influencers on social media platforms are increasing, using such platforms as full-time occupations. They are central to every day social media usage - their audience expects posts, videos, photos, and sometimes, statements. The question is whether or not the influencers are able to fulfill these expectations. Social media is a new phenomenon for the political sphere, which needs to be researched more, as it has an everyday and constant influence on people all over the world. Especially younger generations are confronted by this influence, shaping and forming their political views and actions. The research question "How does social media activism in Germany diffuse the beliefs contributing to attitude and influence towards social issues, and what implies the genuineness of this activism or the following of a trend?" is studied, through a comparative case study and textual and document analysis. The main results compile that genuineness of influencers in online activism, depends on either their relation to the situation or the 'sacrifices and risk they are willing to take or have made for the sake of what they perceive as justice. Additionally, financial risks or motivations have strong influences on genuine activism, as influencers who have no other income than social media, are less likely to take this risk, and prefer to stay silent.