OSP: Influencers and celebrity culture

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 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"?
With ordinary users uploading their own content: they are ‘produsers’ (producer-users) and ‘prosumers’ (producer-consumers).

2) How does YouTube and social media culture act as a form of cultural imperialism or 'Americanisation'? 
YouTube influencers encourage the spread of US cultural references, language and attitudes. This form of globalisation implies a dominance of Western cultural attitudes

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.

4) How can YouTube and social media celebrity content be read as postmodern, an example of hyperreality? 
The construction of Youtube videos 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’.

5) What are the arguments for and against regulating online content such as YouTube?
It is difficult to restrict access to such sites to younger children who may be more impressionable of what they are viewing.

6) How can Hesmondhalgh and Curran & Seaton's ideas be linked to online media debates? 
David Hesmondhalgh and Curran and Seaton that the cultural industries are driven by corporate power and the pursuit of profit.

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- The attraction of many YouTubers to
younger audiences is that they see themselves reflected in their YouTube heroes.

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 start off as positive and relatable additions to the media landscape for audiences to support and identifiy with however, when they reach a certain level of success with high viewerships, the shift to promoting capitalist ideals sits in.


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


1) What are the different ways celebrities manage their social media accounts? Give examples. 
Although celebrity accounts are almost always entertaining, there’s also the “business” aspect of anyone in show business. Harry Styles post promoting his tour was most liekly made by his social media manager.

2) Why is 'voice' important in celebrity social media content and what examples are provided? 
A distinct brand voice helps companies stand out from the crowd, Teigen’s off-the-cuff and often humorous tweets often don’t feel like they were written by a celebrity at all. Her human approach to social has made her all the more endearing and relatable to her millions of followers.

3) What different goals may celebrities have for their social media accounts? 
Promoting politics and advocacy for movements or promoting their projects and work.

4) What types of content can be found from celebrity social media posts? 
Funny, behind the scenes or advocacy for politics.

5) How does social media allow influencers to interact with fans? Give examples.  
News, hype posts, updates, Behind the scenes content, “Slice of life” content

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?  
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. This suggests that celebrity posts are damaging to impressionable people like chidren and are infact fabricated.

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

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. 
Yes, i believe that age restrictions should be enforced and photoshopped posts should be flagged and labelled as 'editied'. This is because young people are impressionable and may believe that the fabricated posts are real

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