Restriction: Must be in Communication program.

Be they either renowned persona such as MrBeast, Emma Chamberlain, Ryan Kaji, and Jeffree Star, or those struggling to get attention online, thecentrality of influencers is unquestionable whenever we examine social media today. This course surveys both the history of the idea of "influence" as a cultural and communicative activity, as well as how social media transforms this legacy. Topics addressed will include: "conspicuous consumption," "opinion leaders," and "influentials" in twentieth-century marketing; the role of social media platforms in shaping attention and income; the increasing necessity of transforming one's identity into a personal "brand" to be consumed by others; fame and celebrity on social media; precarity, burnout, and exhaustion in thename of achieving fame; the production of image versus the "reality" behind social media celebrity.