OSP: Influencers and celebrity culture

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 published first and then filtered or judged later by audiences. So, success is measured by the number of views and the reaction of the ‘fans’ rather than the judgement and financial power of an industry editor/producer.

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

We could argue that YouTube influencers encourage the spread of US cultural references, language and attitudes. This form of globalisation implies a dominance of Western cultural attitudes (cultural hegemony) – ‘the West vs the Rest’.

3) How do influencers reinforce capitalist ideologies?

Most globally popular YouTubers also promote materialism and consumption. Once they become successful, YouTube stars are often sponsored by commercial companies and become endorsers of products. Their posts illustrate the commercialisation or commodification of entertainment which, although in some ways more honest and explicitly done than the subtle product placement of the past, still channels audiences into conformist ways of thinking and behaving, encouraging them to buy products and aspire towards material improvement.

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

Typical YouTuber videos tend to subvert the codes and conventions of traditional cinematography. They use techniques such as handheld camera, cartoon-like captions and sounds, crash zooms into extreme close ups, jump cuts and other obvious editing devices which emphasise the artificiality of their filmmaking. The vlog is a highly self-reflexive media form. This postmodern self-consciousness involves breaking the fourth wall by revealing the ‘nuts and bolts’ of video shooting and editing. Jean Baudrillard called these fake representations of reality ’hyperreality’. For him, the artificial reality is more real to modern screen-centred audiences than authentic reality but how far do consumers of massively successful vloggers such as Zoella or PewDiePie – who at this stage in their careers are creating videos as part of their job rather than as an authentic expression of themselves – still understand that what they are seeing is hyperreality, a constructed version of the authentic?

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

Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt point out that there is a dilemma about whether to permit freedom of speech in the online space or regulate it, to protect the public. The content of viral video clips is often subversive, the mode of address is informal. This raises the question of age suitability and availability to younger audiences. It is difficult to restrict access to such sites to younger children who may be more impressionable and less able to distance themselves critically and emotionally from what they are viewing. Bandura’s work in the 1960s claimed that there was a link between media content and the imitative ‘copycat’ behaviour of younger viewers which is a concern for some.

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

Many YouTubers become involved in sponsorship deals with fashion, cosmetics or games companies. This celebrity endorsement fits in with the political economy group of theories which states that ultimately all media is tied into practices of maximising profit for large corporations. A strong argument is that a primary role of the media is to deliver audiences to advertisers. YouTube, and its owner Google, rely on advertising for their substantial earnings and arguably, celebrity vloggers act as a promotional vehicle for advertisers and commercial sponsors. In a phrase: it’s all about clicks. So, this supports the ideas of both David Hesmondhalgh and Curran and Seaton that the cultural industries are driven by corporate power and the pursuit of profit. When enormous conglomerates, like Google and Facebook buy up platforms and apps that were previously their competitors, they become leaders in the market and leave little room for independence, individualism and democracy.

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

David Gauntlett asserts that online media encourages ordinary users to experiment with other personas, projecting identity as multiple and fluid. There are many and varied YouTubers to choose from, allowing audiences to see different ways of being and different points of view. The attraction of many YouTubers to younger audiences is that they see themselves reflected in their YouTube heroes. Emma Chamberlain’s screen presence seems natural, relaxed and authentic. This is refreshing for audiences who are used to actors playing a role or presenters adopting a particularly performative set of speech patterns and mannerisms.

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?

While most celebrity influencers likely began with the intent of creating content about topics they are passionate about and entertaining their audiences by sharing aspects of their lives, the reality of influencers on social media is that most have carefully constructed personas that are defined and supported by the brands they collaborate with. When an influencer begins to buy into brand deals, the content they create will intentionally present the products as essential to buy, using the existing trust and loyalty of their fanbase to convince them that they need to emulate them and buy the same thing. This reinforces capitalist ideologies and it could be argued that eventually, all influencers end up as part of the hegemonic structures that the promise of democratised content creation was said to eliminate. 

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.

Not all celebrities are responsible for their own social accounts. Although some celebrity social media accounts might seem like random musings and updates, others are centred around specific promotions, shout-outs and announcements. Celebrity social media management represents a sort of balancing act between marketers and their clients. Although celebrity accounts are almost always entertaining, there’s also the “business” aspect of anyone in show business. In short, social media managers are often responsible for adopting their celebrity clients’ voice and working alongside that client to make sure their social presence is “on brand.”

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

Much like a distinct brand voice helps companies stand out from the crowd, the same can be said for the tone and personality of a celebrity on social media. Celebrity social media management isn’t about who can be the funniest or post the craziest pictures. Just like brands have different goals and audiences, so do celebrities. The role of a social manager for a celebrity is to determine what those goals are and how to reach them while communicating with thousands or millions of followers.

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

Some celebrities may want to appeal to their audience through their social media by seeming more relatable and human. Other celebrities may want to use their social media to highlight any activism they are involved in.

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

- News, updates and hype posts

- Behind-the-scenes content

- Slice of life content

- Celebrity snapshots 

- Inspirational content

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

- Likes 

- Retweets

- Replying to fans

- DMs 

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?

The youth charity YMCA spoke to more than 1,000 young people aged between 11 and 16. They found that 62% of 15 to 16-year-olds felt that social media had ramped up expectations over their personal appearance. Photoshopped images and the sharing of only the most flattering shots shifted young people’s understanding of what a normal body looked like, the charity said. Ideals of physical perfection were also said to be driven by celebrity culture, with 58% of 11 to 16-year-olds identifying it as the main influence.

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

Increasing numbers of academic studies have found that mental health problems have soared among girls over the past decade, coinciding with the period in which young people’s use of social media has exploded.

Social media use has also contributed to a increasing sleep deprivation among young people, which could both be a symptom of mental illness and also raise the risk of it developing, she added.

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.

While social media offers many opportunities for young people to communicate and learn new things, I still believe that it should be more widely controlled due to its massive scope of influence and lack of regulated content that young people are regularly exposed to.