“Influenced” used to mean something different I guess.
All those Beeberheads are no different now than before they heard of him. They don’t act or believe differently than before.
Popularity is not “influence”
What has he influenced them to do?
RE: What has he influenced them to do?
He influenced the Norwegian Schools to re-schedule their midterms because of his mere presence.
Of course it’s a BAD thing, but TIME did not say that the influence is all for the good.
It’s like their PERSON OF THE YEAR — a person, group, idea or object that “for BETTER or for WORSE, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year.