When Influencers Enter Classrooms

There has long been a tradition in schools and colleges of inviting a chief guest for ceremonies and functions. The purpose was never to entertain but to inspire the students. The stage was meant to be shared with people who had walked difficult paths, achieved something meaningful and could pass on lessons to young minds. Teachers, public servants, scientists, writers and government officials were often called upon. Though their speeches were not that entertaining, at least it carried dignity. They did not mislead or discourage.

But over the years this culture has changed. Institutions have begun to invite celebrities, influencers, YouTubers and internet personalities. The choice of guest is rarely about the message they have. It is about who is trending, who is visible in the media and who can give the institution traction. The idea of inspiration has been replaced by the idea of popularity.

The issue is not about influencers as individuals but about what they bring into that space. When someone who rose to fame through curated content, trends or explicit material stands before a hall full of students, what is the message being delivered. The problem begins when they use this platform to glorify their journey without context. Statements like “education is not important, only skill matters” sound appealing, but they are damaging when delivered to impressionable young minds. Skill matters, of course, but skill without education rarely sustains. It is education that provides direction, discipline and the ability to use skill meaningfully. Taking away the value of education in a school auditorium weakens the very foundation of the institution itself.

We must also ask, what exactly have many of these influencers contributed to society. Are they freedom fighters, reformers, teachers or innovators. Have they built anything for the nation, or sacrificed anything for the community. Most have built careers out of entertaining people on a screen, which in itself is not wrong, but does that deserve a place on an academic stage. To narrate a personal success story is not the same as imparting wisdom, yet that is what many such appearances have become.

The danger lies in the reception. Adults may have the maturity to listen and filter ideas. Children and teenagers do not. At a stage where their identities and values are still forming, they absorb what they are told. If a figure who commands attention tells them education is secondary, that message does not leave the hall. It takes root. It becomes the lens through which they judge effort, education and ambition. A single misguided statement can undo years of patient teaching.

Some may argue that influencers already reach students through phones and the internet. So why does it matter if they are invited to schools. It matters because the institution legitimises them by placing them on that stage. What children may have otherwise consumed as entertainment now arrives packaged as authority. The school/college itself hands them credibility and with it comes the power to mislead.

Education is not just about going with trends. It is more about shaping future minds. Schools and colleges cannot afford to outsource inspiration to those who have nothing meaningful to offer.  Institutions hold an enormous responsibility. If they cannot find a guest who has genuinely contributed to the growth of society then it is better not to invite anyone. An empty stage speaks with more dignity than voices that distract.