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.