ABSTRACT
As the Gen Z population pyramid stretches upward and outward, taking on the shape of a skyscraper-and with its transformation shattering many of our assumptions about the way the world works-the relationship between two of our most basic frameworks, a¡uence and inŸuence, is undergoing a profound change. The power to inŸuence the masses has always been a critical part
of how society and commerce operate. Until the 1800s, however, inŸuence was a highly localized activity, limited by the lack of modern transportation and communications. Keep in mind that even the telegraph and the steamship did not come into existence until the early 1800s. It wasn’t until the advent of both these technologies, along with the expansion of railroads, broad circulation print media and, ultimately, the introduction of radio and telecommunications in the early 1900s, that inŸuence became a purchasable commodity through which an individual or entity could reach the masses and shape opinions.
