Mask Influencers: Paid for by a University Near You

UChicago, while not always as “with it” as other universities, has seen the rise of mini-influencers on campus. From TikTok and Timberland to even Bumble and Tinder, we might begin to see our well-followed friends posting from the Reg with a brand-new disclaimer: Sponsored by the University of Chicago.

Refusing to rely on the sheer goodwill of students, universities like Mizzou and Temple are recruiting—and paying—students to be “mask influencers.” Instagram feeds are now flooded with hashtags like #MaskUpMizzou and #CampusClear even when many campuses are, well, anything but. According to an article in the New York Times, the pay scheme for these jobs seem fair. Kind of. Temple University has helped RAs who have lost their jobs by appointing them new roles as student ambassadors that work to create engaging Covid guidelines for fellow classmates. They also keep tabs on their influencer students, hire them to post about campus safety, but stick to the wage paid for a typical work-study gig. The University of Missouri, on the other hand, has hired a whole-ass influencer marketing firm to onboard six students to act as mask-wearing, social-distancing advocates. The Canadian firm, Glacier, reported that the students are being paid at a competitive rate. And if you know anything about the influencer world, that’s a lot.

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At a time when many face financial troubles, the large paycheck for an Instagram post can feel like a slap in the face to the university community. After failed attempts to lower tuition at many colleges (including UChicago) and the retraction of offers like part-time enrollment and extended student status, decisions like these cut deep. Not to mention the oftentimes large cognitive dissonance between students and administration, which makes it obvious that posts like these are insensitive at worst and a “get that bag!” moment at best. Some students hired to be social distancing advocates have been, unsurprisingly, caught partying on campus. As for those who abide by the standards they promote, there is still the concern that the image being projected on social media by mask influencers is dangerously far from the truth. As one student posts a sunny picture of her taking courses on her patio, another is being isolated in an off-campus apartment, perhaps having contracted the virus from a university-accepted activity like, you know, going to class. Many students like this have reported being pushed into iso-apartments with little furnishing, zero guidance, and ill-timed food deliveries. How are they meant to take these posts?

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The University of Chicago has been placed in a unique situation, with the ability to learn from decisions made by most colleges and universities in the US, which typically begin their fall term as early as mid-August. UChicago has adopted a hybrid model of sorts, offering remote, in-person, and blended courses. In addition, the university has placed restrictions on gyms, dining halls, dorms, as well as on the number of people that can chill (while the weather is still half decent) on the quad. Some have applauded the university’s efforts; others have called for the complete shutdown of campus before it’s too late. Many just hope the class of 2021 can salvage some sort of formal graduation.

The uncertainty of fall quarter combined with the go-ahead for in-person classes begs the question: what exactly incentivizes students to socially distance from friends in private, when these are the same friends they sit next to in class at least once per week? It’s doubtful that university-influencers are the answer. But, alas, this has been a year of firsts.

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