Influencers and celebrity culture

1) Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 72 has a feature linking YouTube influencers to A Level media theories. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM72 and scroll to page 60 to read the article ‘The theory of everything - using YouTubers to understand media theory’. Answer the following questions:

1) How has YouTube "democratised media creativity"?

Content is posted first and then filtered later by consumers who judge the video with a like/dislike or a comment. Content is therefore judged by the number of views and the number of likes.

2) How does YouTube and social media culture act as a form of cultural imperialism or 'Americanisation'? 

Social media is dominated by US content creators which causes the spread of US cultural references, language and attitudes.

3) How do influencers reinforce capitalist ideologies? 

Once influencers gain a significant following they often receive sponsorships which require them to promote a product through their social media channels using strategic product placement and doing reviews. This reinforces capitalist ideologies as they encourage viewers to buy products to gain material improvement.

4) How can YouTube and social media celebrity content be read as postmodern, an example of hyperreality? 

Social media can be seen as postmodern as we see the breaking down of high and low culture. This is because, in the past celebrities were only those with talent and lavish lifestyles but due to the rise of social media there are now micro celebrities which can be ordinary people with large followings. 

5) What are the arguments for and against regulating online content such as YouTube?

Some may argue for the regulation of online content as sites such as YouTube could be used to spread hateful content and misinformation which can be consumed by vulnerable audiences such as younger more impressionable children. However, some argue against regulation as they believe censorship prevents free speech and people should have the right to choose what they consume.

6) How can Hesmondhalgh and Curran & Seaton's ideas be linked to online media debates? 

Their ideas link as social media is seen as a space where content is diversified and people have access to information and ideas from around the world but in reality this is less true as social media algorithms will only promote what is trending and therefore people are less likely to see a wide range of content. 

7) How can Gauntlett's ideas around identity and audience be applied to YouTube and influencer content?

Audiences use content to pick and mix different aspects of identities found online to form their own unique identity.

8) What is YOUR opinion on celebrity influencers? Are they a positive, democratic addition to the contemporary media landscape or a highly constructed product promoting hegemonic capitalist ideologies?   

I believe celebrity influencers can be both positive and negative depending on the content they post and the ideas they promote. This is because many celebrity influencers are known for being humble and spreading positivity by posting authentic content whereas some creators chose to post highly unrealistic, edited and negative content which has a negative impact on their viewers.

2) How to build a social media brand: case study

Read this excellent case study on how to build a celebrity social media brand and answer the following questions: 

1) What are the different ways celebrities manage their social media accounts? Give examples. 

Some celebrities have social media managers who post promotional content such as harry styles' manager who posts information about tickets for his concert and some chose to post their own content and use their social media to build a connection with their fanbase. 

2) Why is 'voice' important in celebrity social media content and what examples are provided? 

Voice is the tone and personality portrayed through a celebrities posts/content on social media. This is important as different celebrities have different audiences and different goals as to what they want their online presence to achieve. An example of this being provided is Mark Ruffalo's instagram where he posts about his political activism which could be him trying to gain support from his viewers.

3) What different goals may celebrities have for their social media accounts? 

Celebrities might use their social media accounts to: maintain/control their image, promote upcoming projects, engage with fans, another stream of income or to influence their viewers socially/politically.

4) What types of content can be found from celebrity social media posts? 

Types of content include behind the scenes, news, updates, hype posts, inspirational/heartwarming content and iconic celebrity snapshots. 

5) How does social media allow influencers to interact with fans? Give examples.  

They interact with fans through comments, likes, reposts and asking questions for their fans to answer. 

3) Guardian article: Social media harming young people

Finally, read this Guardian article reporting that social media and celebrity culture is harming young people. Answer the following questions:

1) What did the YMCA's report suggest about social media content and celebrity culture?  

Their report suggests that social media content has a negative impact on young people as celebrity posts are highly edited and create unrealistic expectations.

2) What examples are provided of how this can have a damaging effect on young people? 

These edited pictures are making young people compare themselves to pictures which aren't real which creates an unrealistic beauty standard and can lead to many insecurities or even bullying of those who don't meet the standard for conventional beauty. 

3) What is YOUR opinion on this topic? Do you feel social media is dangerous to young people? Should age restrictions be enforced? Explain your answer. 

Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

The internet allows people freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of press in just one connection. The internet also has political, educational and economic advantages.

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

It's hard to filter and control which allows for the spread of hate and illegal content such as child abuse which can be accessed via the 'dark web'. Another danger to consider is the online abuse and bullying which many people face through social media and chat rooms. 

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

Open technology can be interpreted in different ways, it could mean: computers being able to run any program without the need for it to be checked, end to end encryption or the ability to access or change software without payment or permission. I believe openness is good but only to a certain extent as there are challenges with illegal and immoral use of technology when not being monitored. 

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

Bill Thompson says that the future of the internet could have challenges relating to safety and rule/law enforcement as in order to get the full experience and benefit from it, it has to be as open as possible.

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I believe the internet should be controlled more as people are using it to do illegal things anonymously which could lead to real life harm and it makes it harder for the police to track criminals who are protected by encrypted chats. 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession is when specialisation is used to solve a difficult problem regarding managing a scarce resource. This links to the newspaper industry as when resources are scarce journalists must decide what news is worthy of being printed and published.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

What happens when publishing is no longer unique, this is because the internet has made it so that everyone is capable of publishing whatever they want which means there is no longer any scarcity. 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

Traditional media chose to ignore the story but online bloggers decided to post criticising it which made it gain popularity and forced the news to discuss it. 

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

Mass amateurisation refers to the rise of the internet giving people access to the tools they need to publish whereas in the past only professionals had access to these tools. 

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

This idea links to the current media landscape as fake news being spread online and going viral is more likely to gain attention and be believed by people than news from traditional outlets. 

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky discusses how technology has changed the way people consume and share information and how people are now able to access multiple sources from around the world. This means we’re currently experience revolution. 

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

Everyone who has access to technology and the internet is now able to publish whatever they want onto the internet, this is important because the media we consume is no longer being controlled by a small group.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution? 

The internet revolution has lead to the spread of fake news and misinformation, clear examples of this can be seen when looking at global events such as COVID where people were spreading misinformation and conspiracies.  

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

In the past only a photographer could take a photo as it required expensive equipment which wasn’t easily found but the introduction of smartphones meant everyone had a device in their pocket with the ability to take a photo whenever they wanted with no experience whatsoever. 

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

In my opinion mass amateurisation has had both positive and negative impacts. It means that people have more freedom due to having access to free information on the internet and it has improved the lives of many but it also comes with the risk of spreading of misinformation as people post first and filter later. People are being fed large amounts of information which makes it harder for them to look into and verify which can lead to people not believing things they see online or even believing things that they shouldn’t. This can also have impacts on politics which is similar to the chaos seen after the printing press revolution.