The World of Influencers: Labor, Power, and Celebrity on Social Media

Over the past decade, influencers and online content creators have become highly visible on social media platforms. From fashion and travel influencers posting glamourous pictures on Instagram to YouTubers and TikTokers sharing new dance moves, car repair tips, and beauty routines for different skin colors, the diversity and promise of social media creation turned the role of 'influencer' into a highly desirable - but deeply uncertain - career. In this course, we will draw on classical frameworks in communication, sociology, and organization studies to examine these forms of cultural production through the lenses of labor, power, and celebrity in contemporary societies. Please contact the instructor for permission to enroll.