tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/influencers-22457/articlesInfluencers – The Conversation2024-03-18T12:32:12Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234152024-03-18T12:32:12Z2024-03-18T12:32:12ZAs the US government and record labels go after TikTok, musicians get the squeeze<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582257/original/file-20240315-16-a1ogtt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8243%2C5462&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thomas Raggi of the band Måneskin performs a concert that streamed live on TikTok in 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/thomas-raggi-of-the-band-maneskin-performs-at-a-live-news-photo/1233487624?adppopup=true">Fabian Sommer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For much of the year, TikTok has been on the defensive. </p>
<p>On March 13, 2024, the House of Representatives <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">voted to approve a bill</a> that would force the short-form video app to be sold off from its Chinese parent company to non-Chinese owners or face a ban in the U.S. The Senate will still have to vote on the legislation, which received broad bipartisan support due to beliefs that TikTok creates risks to national security.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Universal Music Group, one of the biggest record labels in the world, <a href="https://www.universalmusic.com/an-open-letter-to-the-artist-and-songwriter-community-why-we-must-call-time-out-on-tiktok/">stopped licensing its music to TikTok</a> at the end of January 2024. Since then, songs by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and scores of other artists can no longer be used on the platform, while millions of TikTok videos that had incorporated tracks from Universal artists were muted.</p>
<p>Universal Music Group has an estimated <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4580695-universal-music-group-buy-the-leader-of-the-music-industry-ahead-of-earnings">37.5% market share</a> in the music industry, so its songs likely make up a significant portion of the clips used on TikTok prior to the ban.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/tiktok-begins-removing-universal-music-publishing-songs-expanding-roya-rcna140713">The record label claims</a> its artists account for a majority of songs on the platform, and therefore, Universal artists should be better compensated and have guardrails against the harmful effects of artificial intelligence. TikTok, in its response, has said that it has come to amicable agreements with other record labels and that Universal is being unreasonable to the detriment of the artists it seeks to protect.</p>
<p>In the end, both companies simply want to have a larger piece of the pie.</p>
<p>But each of their interests, I believe, should be secondary to the creators that sustain them. Over the past two decades, as the internet and streaming have disrupted the music industry, wage gains for music professionals have been far more pronounced at the top of the income ladder. However, most composers and performers have seen their income and employment prospects dwindle.</p>
<p>TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape, and while musicians increasingly need TikTok, TikTok also needs music. </p>
<h2>Gains have gone to the top</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/bc01f8f80efe2e8d006b26520064d146">My research explores the impact of technology</a> on music professionals in the internet era.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91040797/what-the-digital-streaming-revolution-of-the-2000s-can-teach-us-about-the-ai-revolution-today-according-to-a-former-musician">Technology was supposed to democratize the music industry</a>, allowing more artists to more easily gain access to new markets.</p>
<p>Artists no longer needed a record deal to record their music and get it out to the world. They can record music cheaply using their computers, upload it to YouTube, Spotify, BandCamp, SoundCloud, Tidal or any number of platforms for music distribution, then promote their work on social media to build their audience.</p>
<p>But this didn’t lead to more music professionals making a living off their work.</p>
<p>That’s the conclusion I came to by analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which includes two categories of music professionals: performers, who record songs and put on live shows, and composers, which includes musicians who conduct performances or create original works of music but do not necessarily perform that music. A performer would be someone like Dua Lipa, whereas a composer might be someone who is credited for writing a track on Dua Lipa’s album. </p>
<p>From 1999 to 2022, composers saw a strong 85.3% boost in employment, reflecting a gain of 5,380 jobs. This alone suggests that technology has helped music professionals gain employment.</p>
<p>However, when we look at performers – whose employment numbers shrank by 14,690, or 31.6% – it tells a different story. </p>
<p>Put together, the total number of music professionals fell by 9,310 people from 1999 to 2022, reflecting a 17.6% drop. All the free promotion of social media and the lowered barriers to entry that the internet provided were not enough to sustain artists’ livelihoods.</p>
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<p>Wages tell a more complex story. </p>
<p>While more people have earned a living from composing music since 1999, their wage gains paled in comparison to that of performers. In short, there are fewer people working as performers now, but those who can cut it are making more money. </p>
<p>This would seem to show that technology has helped most working music professionals.</p>
<p>However, there were outsize gains among the top 10% of music professionals – so the bulk of the rewards from technological advancement went to those at the top. The average wage gain for music professions rises as you climb the income ladder.</p>
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<h2>Artists first, or artists last?</h2>
<p>Artists, then, are having an increasingly difficult time making a living, especially independent artists who comprise the lower income brackets. </p>
<p>The promises of technology <a href="https://hbr.org/2024/01/is-genais-impact-on-productivity-overblown">are often overblown</a>; in the case of music, the winners and losers have ended up mirroring <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rising-inequality-a-major-issue-of-our-time/">broader societal inequalities</a>.</p>
<p>Even as technology hasn’t deliver what it promised to artists, artists are increasingly reliant on technology to make a living. </p>
<p>They’ve increasingly turned to TikTok to do so.</p>
<p>TikTok, with <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/">more than a billion active users</a> worldwide, has revolutionized music promotion and discovery. Unlike traditional social media, TikTok’s unique format, algorithm-driven content discovery and collaborative features supposedly democratize fame. </p>
<p>Lesser-known artists can go viral, shaping the Billboard charts and propelling songs into the mainstream. Lil Nas X <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/lil-nas-xs-no-1-run-began-tiktok-now-music-industry-taking-notice">rose to fame on TikTok</a> with “Old Town Road” and promptly signed on to Columbia Records. Oliver Anthony, the creator of the populist hit “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/oliver-anthony-music-rich-men-north-of-richmond-number-one-debut-hot-100-1235396681/">went viral</a> in summer 2023, eventually reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.</p>
<p>In this era of virality, TikTok has become an essential promotional tool for musicians and record labels alike, transcending the boundaries of conventional social platforms.</p>
<p>By cutting ties with TikTok, Universal Music Group is not only depriving its artists of these opportunities, but it’s also alienating a large and loyal fan base who use TikTok to interact with their favorite artists and their songs. </p>
<p>TikTok also loses in this situation, since music is such a critical part of its audiovisual experience. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-22/tiktok-lost-customers-when-it-took-away-music-in-australia">In a 2023 test conducted by TikTok</a>, the platform limited the music that some users in Australia could use in posts. For three straight weeks, the number of users, along with the time users spent on the app, declined. </p>
<p>Both parties say they want to protect the artists, <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-statement-in-response-to-universal-music-group">with TikTok arguing</a> that it has reached “artist-first agreements with every other label” and that “Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.”</p>
<p>TikTok is banking on the perception that platforms provide opportunities for cultural producers by saying that the power of the platform lies in it being “a free promotional and discovery vehicle” for artists. Some members of Congress who opposed the TikTok ban cited the platform’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/tiktok-bill-ban-house-vote-af4d0800?mod=hp_lead_pos1">utility for maintaining creators’ livelihoods</a>, so this is a common refrain.</p>
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<img alt="Woman holds sign reading 'I'm 1 of 170 million Americans on TikTok.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A protester holds a sign in support of TikTok at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on March 12, 2024.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/participants-hold-signs-in-support-of-tiktok-at-a-news-news-photo/2079160123?adppopup=true">Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>In response, Universal Music Group has declared that TikTok has an “outdated view” of the modern music business due to the app’s insistence that it provides exposure for artists – and that this exposure is good enough. As my research shows, this free promotion has not grown the ranks of artists who can make a living off music.</p>
<p>TikTok still holds out hope that it can reach “<a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/umpg-update-february-28-2024">an equitable agreement with Universal Music Group</a>,” but the record label hasn’t budged.</p>
<p>The two media companies say they want to protect artists. But I believe the artists are the ones who will end up hurt the most in a divorce.</p>
<p>In other words, TikTok and Universal need to stay together for the kids.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223415/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ediz Ozelkan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For some musical artists, TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape.Ediz Ozelkan, Lecturer of Media Studies, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2241192024-03-17T12:56:19Z2024-03-17T12:56:19ZOnline wellness content: 3 ways to tell evidence-based health information from pseudoscience<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582218/original/file-20240315-20-1ijga2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=374%2C66%2C6941%2C4649&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Health information is increasingly being shared online, and often the borders between legitimate health expertise and pseudoscience aren't clear.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“I drink borax!” proclaims the smiling TikToker. Holding up a box of the laundry additive, she rhymes off a list of its supposed health benefits: “Balances testosterone and estrogen. It’s a powerhouse anti-inflammatory…. It’s amazing for arthritis, osteoporosis…. And obviously it’s great for your gut health.” </p>
<p>Videos like these <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9860780/borax-drinking-tiktok-trend/">prompted health authorities to warn the public</a> about the dangers of ingesting this toxic detergent — and away from such viral messaging that promotes unsubstantiated and medically dangerous health claims.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-tiktok-trend-has-people-drinking-toxic-borax-an-expert-explains-the-risks-and-how-to-read-product-labels-210278">A new TikTok trend has people drinking toxic borax. An expert explains the risks – and how to read product labels</a>
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<p>Health information is increasingly being shared online, and often the borders between legitimate health expertise and pseudoscience aren’t clear. While the internet can be a valuable and accessible way to learn about health, it’s also a place rife with disinformation and grift, as unscrupulous <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000829">influencers exploit</a> people’s fears about their bodies. </p>
<h2>Evidence and influencers</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Collage of quotes about drinking borax" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582219/original/file-20240315-24-myasst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Some TikTokers claimed drinking borax had health benefits. In fact, borax is toxic and shouldn’t be ingested.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Michelle Cohen)</span></span>
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<p>In my medical practice, I can usually track online wellness trends, such as a patient refusing a medication because of online claims — many of which are false — that it <a href="https://thefeelgoodagaininstitute.com/medications-that-lower-testosterone/">lowers testosterone</a>, or the several months when it seemed everyone was <a href="https://theconversation.com/turmeric-heres-how-it-actually-measures-up-to-health-claims-205613">taking turmeric</a> for joint pain, or the patients who request an <a href="https://theconversation.com/ivermectin-whether-formulated-for-humans-or-horses-is-not-a-treatment-for-covid-19-167340">ivermectin prescription</a> in case they catch COVID. </p>
<p>So how does someone who simply wants to learn more about the human body sift through the information? How to separate bad-faith grift from good advice? </p>
<p>Wellness influencers tap into a truth about how we process information: it’s <a href="https://lab.research.sickkids.ca/anthony/wp-content/uploads/sites/75/2019/07/Health-misinformation-and-the-power-of-narrative-messaging-in-the-public-sphere..pdf">more trustworthy</a> when it comes from a person we feel like we know. That’s why a charismatic personality’s Instagram account that uses <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783319846188">intimate stories</a> to promote <a href="https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4920/">parasocial attachment</a> — the sense of being part of a community — is more memorable than a website offering dry recitations of evidence.</p>
<p>But as social media has become ubiquitous, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/daniellebelardomd/?hl=en">health experts</a> have caught on that sharing their personal side alongside reliable advice can be a good use of their platform. At first glance, these two groups may seem similar, but the following tips can help determine if the person posting health advice is actually knowledgeable on the topic:</p>
<h2>1) Are they selling something?</h2>
<p>Rarely do popular wellness influencers post out of the goodness of their hearts. Almost invariably these accounts are <a href="https://www.conspirituality.net/transmissions/the-wellness-grift-of-jp-sears">trying to profit</a> from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20486">virality of their content</a>. </p>
<p>Whether it’s a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080%2F08998280.2022.2124767">supplement store</a>, a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/social-media-weight-loss-diet-twitter-influencers-bloggers-glasgow-university-a8891971.html">diet book</a>, a subscription to a lifestyle community or a Masterclass series, the end goal is the same: transform social media influence into sales. Gushing over life-changing benefits from something the promoter is selling should always prompt skepticism. </p>
<p>Some legitimate health experts also sell advice, usually in the form of newsletters, books or <a href="https://www.bodyofevidence.ca/">podcasts</a>, and this is worth keeping in mind. However, there’s a big difference between selling a subscription to a <a href="https://vajenda.substack.com/">health newsletter</a> that discusses evidence and promoting your own supplement shop, where your financial motives shape how you present the information.</p>
<h2>2) What are the boundaries of their expertise?</h2>
<p>True expertise in a subject requires years of dedicated study and practice. That’s why people are rarely experts in more than one or two domains, and no one is a pan-expert on everything. </p>
<p>If a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.2006691">wellness influencer</a> promotes themselves as erudite on all health topics, that’s actually an excellent indication of their lack of knowledge. A real health expert knows the limitations of their knowledge and can call on others’ expertise when needed. So the podcast host who opines on every health issue is substantially less worthwhile to listen to than the podcast host who brings on guest experts for topics outside their scope. </p>
<h2>3) How do they talk about science?</h2>
<p>Science is a process of discovery, not a static philosophy, so scientists emphasize talking about current evidence rather than “truth”, which is more of a faith-based concept. </p>
<p>If someone wants to post about their personal wellness philosophy or their spiritual journey and how it makes them feel, that’s fine. But dropping in biology jargon without explanation or name-checking one or two questionable studies without fulsome discussion isn’t a meaningful way to engage with the evidence on a health topic. </p>
<p>Science-based information should acknowledge where data are uncertain and where more research is needed. Using the pretext of science to lend credence to a personal “truth” is a <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/whats-trending-world-pseudoscience">form of pseudoscience</a> and should raise red flags.</p>
<p>These three principles are a good framework for deciding whether an influencer’s health content is worth consuming or whether they’re simply trying to sell a new supplement or spread viral disinformation about something like borax. </p>
<p>As online health information becomes easier to find (or harder to avoid), this framework can help people quickly scan a wellness influencer’s profile and make a more informed decision about engaging with their content. This is an important type of media literacy that anyone spending time online should cultivate — for the sake of their health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224119/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Cohen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How do we distinguish between valuable information from legitimate health experts, and pseudoscientific nonsense from unscrupulous wellness influencers?Michelle Cohen, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257742024-03-14T05:54:48Z2024-03-14T05:54:48ZThe Jacqui Lambie Network is the latest victim of ‘cybersquatting’. It’s the tip of the iceberg of negative political ads online<p>Firebrand senator Jacqui Lambie is furious. Amid the Tasmanian election campaign (in which she’s running candidates), her party, the Jacqui Lambie Network, has fallen victim to one of the many pitfalls in the world of online political advertising.</p>
<p>Her party’s website is lambienetwork.com.au. You might understand her anger, then, after <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-14/jacqui-lambie-slams-liberals-over-website/103581992">finding out</a> the Tasmanian Liberal party created a website to campaign against her, called lambienetwork.com. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it difference.</p>
<p>This is a textbook example of what’s known as cybersquatting. It’s when internet domain names that are similar to existing trademarked material or the names of people or organisations are bought up by competitors to use against the original. In fact, the major parties have purchased <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/04/08/crikeys-australian-political-party-domain-register/">a heap</a> of domain names.</p>
<p>As political parties desperately battle for voters’ attention in a world full of distractions and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-08/trust-slump-as-division-rules/101939406">dwindling trust in government</a>, cybersquatting is one of many online tools in the toolkit. But the toolkit is full of blunt instruments that may only be effective on a minority of people. The true damage is being done to the majority, who have less and less faith in politics and its institutions.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-governments-are-guilty-of-running-political-ads-on-the-public-purse-heres-how-to-stop-it-191766">All governments are guilty of running political ads on the public purse. Here's how to stop it</a>
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<h2>A crowded, manufactured landscape</h2>
<p>In commercial marketing, there’s a focus on long-term brand building. In political marketing, there’s just one goal: winning.</p>
<p>With such high pressure, and little time to hit objectives, parties and candidates use highly emotive messaging and narratives to drive rapid attention and engagement, and hopefully convince people to vote for them.</p>
<p>With markets splintered into ever-smaller segments, based at times on very specific needs, <a href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-videos-targeted-texts-and-clive-palmer-memes-how-digital-advertising-is-shaping-this-election-campaign-115629">social media</a> has helped move voters quickly and developed narratives around leaders’ personal brands. </p>
<p>Instagram was used successfully by former prime minister Scott Morrison with <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/punjabi/en/article/prime-minister-scott-morrison-makes-scomosas-says-would-have-liked-to-share-them-with-narendra-modi/fzx9zmmkg">his Scomosas</a> and attempt at Bunnings DIY. </p>
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<p>His successor, Anthony Albanese, has replicated that strategy, letting us get a glimpse of who he really is, even having a <a href="https://twitter.com/TotoAlbanese?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1529271741683339264%7Ctwgr%5E2db6b443e67a568315e7a33f81e6cd31f916b63d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perthnow.com.au%2Fpolitics%2Fanthony-albanese%2Fanthony-albaneses-dog-toto-gains-huge-following-on-twitter-c-6934822">Twitter/X account for his dog Toto</a>. This is aimed at developing resonance and building up likeability for his brand. </p>
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<p>Of course, as any royal watcher or user of social media can tell you, <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-kate-middletons-photo-was-doctored-but-so-are-a-lot-of-images-we-see-today-225553">curated images are exactly that</a>: manufactured, for us. So we are trusting this method less and less. This will only get worse the longer voters are exposed to it.</p>
<p>Stories such as that in the 2022 federal election of Labor-aligned groups <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-08/aec-investigating-union-tiktok-accounts-ahead-of-election/100969896">considering paying influencers</a> to post friendly content, doesn’t help either. </p>
<p>As a result, when we see content posted by an influencer, we’re now more likely to be sceptical. Do they really like this product, or are they just being paid to say they do?</p>
<h2>‘Angertainment’ is highly effective</h2>
<p>So it’s back to square one. Enter negativity, or “angertainment”.</p>
<p>Reality shows are full of it. One example is <a href="https://www.girlmuseum.org/media-analysis-the-villain-edit/#:%7E:text=When%20a%20participant%20is%20edited%20in%20a%20way,footage%20of%20someone%20is%20presented%20to%20the%20audience.">the villain edit</a>, where certain contestants are framed to be the antagonist for the sake of drama. There’s also the cued music to make us feel this is the “season-defining moment”. </p>
<p>They do this for the same reasons politicians have done it for decades. It works. It gets our attention. We get engaged. We change our vote. Ratings of these shows don’t lie. </p>
<p>In the past, this was called “wedge politics”, as it wedged one group of voters against others. A party or candidate could then become that group’s champion, and hello election victory. Simple narrative construction. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-tracked-election-ad-spending-for-4-000-facebook-pages-heres-what-theyre-posting-about-and-why-cybersecurity-is-the-bigger-concern-182286">We tracked election ad spending for 4,000 Facebook pages. Here's what they're posting about – and why cybersecurity is the bigger concern</a>
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<p>This was easy when competition for our attention was less fierce. John Howard’s 2001 election-opening “<a href="https://theconversation.com/issues-that-swung-elections-tampa-and-the-national-security-election-of-2001-115143">we decide</a>” statement about immigration was pure wedge politics. </p>
<p>The aim is still the same now, but in a competitive environment for our attention and retention, modern methods have allowed for new ways to reach the average voter. Having not seen them before, people are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-scare-campaigns-like-mediscare-work-even-if-voters-hate-them-62279">more susceptible to believing</a> them. </p>
<p>Clive Palmer has used <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/08/clive-palmer-and-craig-kelly-using-spam-text-messages-to-capture-rightwing-vote-ahead-of-election-expert-says">spam text messages</a> over the years to grab some attention, although it hasn’t necessarily translated into electoral success.</p>
<p>A more inventive use of the internet to campaign was Pauline Hanson’s <a href="https://www.onenation.org.au/please-explain">cartoon series</a>. The first three episodes racked up <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/pauline-hanson-as-a-superhero-these-cartoons-could-be-the-future-20211123-p59b9u.html">750,000 views</a> in two weeks on YouTube. </p>
<p>Both Labor and Liberal have had a strong presence on Snapchat. In 2016, the Liberals were among the first to <a href="https://www.marketingmag.com.au/social-digital/liberal-party-makes-world-history-first-sponsored-snapchat-lens-political-advertising/">make a filter</a> on the app. Labor was the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-are-politicians-using-social-media-to-campaign-20220418-p5ae6q.html">only major party</a> to use it during the 2022 federal election campaign.</p>
<p>These are all new ways of communicating a party’s key messages, including scare or smear campaigns. </p>
<p>Think “Mediscare”, so well done by Labor in 2016 via SMS, and then the revenge sequel of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jun/08/it-felt-like-a-big-tide-how-the-death-tax-lie-infected-australias-election-campaign">death taxes</a> in 2019 by the Coalition. They used Facebook groups very well. </p>
<p>Angertainment is now seen as being more likely to get the message across, and thereby victory, than anything else. </p>
<p>A significant aspect of these campaigns was disinformation, including the misrepresentation or impersonation of candidates. Senator David Pocock was a key target in the ACT in 2022, but <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-27/david-pocock-lodges-complaint-over-advance-australia-corflutes/101016990">successfully ran a challenge</a> through the Australian Electoral Commission. </p>
<p>But this is 2024, and two years is an aeon in social media. The Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) website trick we saw this week is an old-school one. Unlike some of the other strategies, it’s not effective. It is, however, childish. </p>
<p>So why bother? The attacking party would be obvious to most, if not by the authorised name as required by electoral laws. This dilutes the effect and it likely reinforces the reasons to vote for the JLN. </p>
<p>But political parties do it to capitalise on those who don’t realise they’re receiving a message in bad faith. Even if it’s a minority, it’s someone. In a tight political climate, it might be enough to tip the scales in their favour.</p>
<p>The collateral damage, of course, is the spread of misinformation and public disillusionment with politics and elections.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/few-restrictions-no-spending-limit-and-almost-no-oversight-welcome-to-political-advertising-in-australia-181248">Few restrictions, no spending limit, and almost no oversight: welcome to political advertising in Australia</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>Can we stop this?</h2>
<p>We can, easily. </p>
<p>Cybersquatting is in a grey area legally. There are gaps in the relevant legislation that make it very difficult for those affected to get websites taken down. They’re often managed by international organisations with laborious processes.</p>
<p>But the government can ban cyber hijacking or squatting of politicians or parties’ web addresses or social channels. It can restrict negative advertising, and bring in green ticks to verify truthful advertising. </p>
<p>Government can also ensure social media companies take more responsibility for content, and tolerate fewer excuses for poor behaviour. This isn’t restricting freedom of speech, only restricting disinformation. Some independents <a href="https://mumbrella.com.au/new-bill-tabled-to-bring-much-needed-accountability-to-political-advertising-806487">have already</a> introduced bills in parliament on this issue.</p>
<p>If it’s so easy, why hasn’t it been done? Because that requires political support. Considering politicians are the ones who benefit most from the existing framework, we don’t need a negative ad to tell us how unlikely they are to do anything about it anytime soon.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As political parties desperately battle for voters’ attention, cybersquatting is one of many online tools in the toolkit. It’s only effective at further diminishing trust in government.Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246212024-03-01T03:45:31Z2024-03-01T03:45:31ZCould messages from social media influencers stop young people vaping? A look at the government’s new campaign<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579070/original/file-20240301-18-gh27cc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C4%2C2991%2C1985&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-smoking-electronic-cigarette-looking-579690556">Alexandru Chiriac/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Vaping is on the rise among young Australians. Recent figures from the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey/contents/tobacco-and-e-cigarettes-vapes">National Drug Strategy Household Survey</a> show current use of e‑cigarettes among teenagers aged 14–17 increased five-fold from 1.8% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2022–2023. For young adults aged 18–24, use quadrupled from 5.3% to 21% over the same time period. </p>
<p>If these young Australians were using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, perhaps we would have slightly less to worry about. But many young Australians using e-cigarettes do so recreationally and haven’t previously been exposed to nicotine. Although we’re still learning about how vaping will affect health in the long term, we know e-cigarettes <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.51890">are harmful</a>.</p>
<p>Reforms <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-today-new-regulations-make-it-harder-to-access-vapes-heres-whats-changing-218816">introduced this year</a> by the federal government will be key to reducing rates of e-cigarette use among young Australians, while ensuring those who are genuinely using e-cigarettes to quit smoking have a pathway to do so. </p>
<p>It will take some time to see a reduction in e-cigarette use as a result of these reforms. We need to be patient, and give the laws time to work. Enforcement will be key. But if there’s anything we’ve learnt from decades of tobacco control, it’s that we need a comprehensive approach.</p>
<p>This is where the federal government’s <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/next-steps-of-vaping-reform-and-launch-of-influencer-led-youth-vaping-campaign?language=en">latest initiative</a> – a social media campaign targeting youth vaping – comes in.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/young-non-smokers-in-nz-are-taking-up-vaping-more-than-ever-before-here-are-5-reasons-why-185400">Young non-smokers in NZ are taking up vaping more than ever before. Here are 5 reasons why</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>From television to TikTok</h2>
<p>Many will be familiar with the anti-smoking TV ads that have aired over the past several decades. Who could forget the “<a href="https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/prevention-and-screening/preventing-cancer/campaigns/quit-smoking-campaigns/sponge">Sponge</a>” campaign featuring tar being squeezed out of a sponge into a jar to represent the tar in the lungs of those who smoke.</p>
<p>Or the <a href="https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/prevention-and-screening/preventing-cancer/campaigns/quit-smoking-campaigns/terrie-anti-smoking-campaign">hard-hitting testimonial</a> featuring a former smoker named Terrie diagnosed with oral and throat cancer, who had her larynx removed. </p>
<p>But times have changed. Tobacco smoking <a href="https://pp.aihw.gov.au/reports/smoking/tobacco-smoking-ndshs">continues to decline</a> and young Australians spend a lot of their time on social media. For better or worse, platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119886025">become a source of information</a> for youth. </p>
<p>And so we need to be creative with our campaigns. We need to present information in a fresh way.</p>
<p>The government’s new <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/next-steps-of-vaping-reform-and-launch-of-influencer-led-youth-vaping-campaign?language=en">influencer-led youth vaping campaign</a> aims “to spark a conversation with the next generation of Australians about the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction”.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1762620319968485798"}"></div></p>
<p>This campaign will feature a range of influencers seeking to combat the large amount of pro-vaping content on social media platforms. These influencers – people like Ella Watkins (a writer and actor), Ellyse Perry (a cricketer), Zahlia and Shyla Short (surfers), the Fairbairn Brothers (comedians), and JackBuzza (a gamer) – span multiple areas to ensure young Australians with diverse interests are reached. Some have vaped in the past and subsequently quit. </p>
<p>The government hopes these influencers will engage young people using their own unique style and tone, and communicate authentically about the harms associated with e-cigarette use. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktok-promotes-vaping-as-a-fun-safe-and-socially-accepted-pastime-and-omits-the-harms-203423">TikTok promotes vaping as a fun, safe and socially accepted pastime – and omits the harms</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The influence of influencers</h2>
<p>The campaign capitalises on what can be powerful <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-parasocial-relationship-5210770">parasocial relationships</a>: one-sided relationships where a person becomes emotionally connected to a public figure such as a celebrity or influencer. Social media influencers are in our children’s bedrooms, bathrooms, and classrooms. Why not use them to promote healthy attitudes and behaviours?</p>
<p>Emerging <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305120912475">research</a> suggests the use of social media influencers in anti-vaping campaigns could be a promising strategy for improving the reach of public health messaging and engagement with the target audience. </p>
<p>In the context of vaccination, the use of social influencers in a campaign promoting the flu vaccine in the United States led to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0240828">significant increases</a> in positive beliefs about the vaccine and marked decreases in negative attitudes toward it.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman vaping indoors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579073/original/file-20240301-28-wxfoog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Data shows vaping is on the rise among young Australians.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-cute-young-vaping-girl-vapor-1024757749">Lifestyle and Wedding ph/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Will this campaign be effective?</h2>
<p>The use of social influencers to promote a healthy lifestyle is still a relatively new frontier in health communication, and whether this campaign will be effective is a tricky question to answer. </p>
<p>There are several <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538068.2023.2249714">benefits to this approach</a>, such as leveraging the relationships influencers have built with their audience, enhanced authenticity, and meaningful communication of health information. </p>
<p>It also provides an opportunity to shift social norms. In the context of tobacco and vaping control specifically, public health has far fewer resources compared to the tobacco and vaping industries. The strategic use of social influencers can help organisations involved in health promotion to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305120912475">overcome this commercial imbalance</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-i-help-my-teen-quit-vaping-201558">How can I help my teen quit vaping?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But there could also be risks associated with this campaign, such as the lack of control over the content an influencer may choose to share, and their actions and opinions on other topics, which may affect their credibility. Vetting influencers and implementing <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/165158/download">risk mitigation plans</a> will be crucial steps for the government to take. </p>
<p>Specific details of the campaign are yet to be released, so we don’t know exactly how the influencers will be engaged to combat increasing rates of e-cigarette use among youth. But we will be closely watching this innovative approach.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224621/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Jongenelis currently receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the WA Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway). She is affiliated with the Australian Council on Smoking and Health and the World Federation of Public Health Associations' Tobacco Control Working Group.
Michelle has never received services, assistance, or support (whether monetary or non-monetary in nature) from the tobacco industry and/or e-cigarette industry. Michelle has never provided services, assistance, or support (whether monetary or non-monetary in nature) to the tobacco and/or e-cigarette industry.
</span></em></p>Times have changed. While in decades past we watched anti-smoking campaigns on TV, we now need anti-vaping messages on TikTok.Michelle Jongenelis, Associate Professor, Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2235762024-02-27T12:41:37Z2024-02-27T12:41:37ZTargeted social media ads are influencing our behaviour – and the government uses them too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577391/original/file-20240222-15836-ukwq6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=172%2C68%2C5578%2C3164&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/anonymous-male-on-laptop-night-concept-169147106">icsnaps/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Social media feels more chaotic and compulsive than ever, and the advertising more frequent and less obvious. Scrolling past endless influencers and videos on TikTok and Instagram, you may have been urged to buy something or change your behaviour without even noticing. And governments, including the UK government, are now buying in.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/home-office-pay-tiktok-influencers-migrants-b2495703.html">mid-February</a>, it was reported the Home Office plans to pay social media influencers in Albania to discourage people from travelling to the UK by small boat across the Channel.</p>
<p>This news seemed to come from nowhere. Even many of the influencers reportedly being considered said they had never <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/tiktokers-home-office-rwanda-2905222">heard of these plans</a>. But in fact, it is only the latest example of how government and law enforcement in the UK have been using social media to implement policy and influence the public. </p>
<p>The Labour party has also proposed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/26/labour-to-help-schools-develop-male-influencers-to-combat-tate-misogyny">training influencers</a> in schools to be positive role models for boys, to counter the misogyny that spreads on social media.</p>
<p>Social media has introduced complex new ways for creators and advertisers to influence their users. One of the most ubiquitous is targeted advertising, where companies (and governments) can direct ads to people with certain traits or interests. </p>
<p>I have been researching how governments have used these tools to deliver policies and change people’s behaviour. This practice, which my colleagues and I call <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517221078756">“influence government”</a>, started in counter-terrorism. The Home Office was an early adopter, introducing several campaigns throughout the 2010s in an attempt to counter online radicalisation. </p>
<p>One example was This is Woke, which purported to be a digital media network for young UK Muslims. In fact, it was <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/revealed-woke-media-outfit-thats-actually-uk-counterterror-programme">created for the Home Office</a> as part of its counter-terror strategy.</p>
<p>Less clandestine examples have included a <a href="https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/scotland/scotland-deterrence-campaign/">campaign against child exploitation</a> that targeted people who used specific keywords in their social media posts. Advertisements for support services for victims of serious violence were targeted to postcodes near individual hospitals, and tailored the accents of the actors in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APUfXvepLQQ&t=1s">videos</a> to match the local area. And recent campaigns to support people facing issues in social housing targeted those in low-income groups showing a recent interest in DIY. </p>
<h2>Migration and targeted advertising</h2>
<p>The Home Office has used digital influence in its migration and security policy for years. The i newspaper uncovered a campaign designed by the behaviour change agency Seefar, aimed at asylum seekers in Calais and other French and Belgian towns <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asylum-seeker-adverts-small-boats-facebook-b2391097.html">between January 2021 and September 2022</a>.</p>
<p>The ads depicted military drones, dogs and boats sinking at sea, tapping into fear and emotion to demonstrate the risk of attempting a Channel crossing.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I found that these advertisements targeted people based on interests that acted as <a href="https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/13579">proxies for ethnicity or religion</a>. We analysed data obtained from the Meta (Facebook’s parent company) ad library for researchers, which showed the different interests and behavioural characteristics used in the advertising profile.</p>
<p>This long list of identifiers – people who recently left their hometown, with an interest in Syrian food, supporters of the Afghanistan national football team, Arabic speakers – shows us exactly who was being targeted. The i later reported that these cost the Home Office at least £35,000 to run.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two screenshots of Facebook ads, one with Arabic text showing a photo of migrants in a boat, and another with English text reading 'there is no hiding place' with a photo of a dog sniffing a lorry." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577380/original/file-20240222-28-6ymy49.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two examples of targeted advertisements run by the Home Office.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In our ongoing research, we have compiled a dataset of several thousand campaigns currently being used by UK law enforcement on Facebook and Instagram alone. These include counter-terror advertisements that display when your phone moves into a certain postcode, anti-misogyny campaigns that target the use of particular words on social media and ads that pop up when you search for illegal services on Google. </p>
<p>Although these advertising campaigns may pose some solutions to social issues long thought intractable, they raise serious concerns about privacy, transparency, democratic oversight and political participation. </p>
<p>Their use by law enforcement, in “<a href="https://www.sipr.ac.uk/news/influence-policing-published/">influence policing</a>”, is even more controversial – giving the police sophisticated tools to shape the behaviour of the public. </p>
<p>As advertisers, the police has a unique relationship to its audience. It is the only body whose marketing is backed up by the power to use lethal and coercive force. This means that law enforcement use of these approaches needs an even higher level of oversight and accountability.</p>
<h2>From influence to influencers</h2>
<p>The campaign to use influencers to convince people not to risk the journey to the UK marks an evolution of government communications. The marketing doesn’t just advertise government policy or raise awareness of an issue, it is a key part of how the policy works. If implemented, it would draw on influencers’ personal connection and power over a specific audience that the government wants to target.</p>
<p>Two years ago, this would have been seen as far too risky – influencers can easily go off-message or court controversy. But the growing popularity of platforms like TikTok, which rely on video content and have fewer levers for direct targeting, has necessitated a change.</p>
<p>Influencers are agile, moving with their audience between different platforms, and maintaining a direct connection with their communities. As the online environment further changes, with digital advertising being <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/news/generative-ai-features-for-ads-coming-to-all-advertisers">one of the first industries</a> to lean into the possibilities of generative AI, there needs to be far more transparency and public debate around how government and law enforcement are using digital communications. </p>
<p>There are other privacy and ethical concerns at play. The campaigns deterring Channel crossings were seen by French and Belgian Muslim communities well beyond the target audience. This <a href="https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-uk-uses-targeted-facebook-ads-to-deter-migrants-now-meta-is-releasing-the-data/">raises questions</a> about the ethics of using religion and ethnicity in ads designed to instil fear.</p>
<p>These campaigns have long ceased to be a mere advertisement for government policy. They are now a frontline tool of how policy is delivered and government is seeking to influence our lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223576/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Collier receives funding from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and is a member of the Foundation for Information Policy Research</span></em></p>The Home Office has proposed paying influencers to discourage migrants from coming to the UK.Ben Collier, Lecturer in Digital Methods, The University of EdinburghLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208472024-02-23T03:31:31Z2024-02-23T03:31:31ZYouTube influencer Ruby Franke will go to prison for child abuse. What are the ethics of family vlogging?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577488/original/file-20240222-24-jtf0xb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C6000%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-holding-black-dslr-camera-VLgS0UfNfvE">Warren/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mother and family YouTube creator Ruby Franke was this week <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353302">sentenced</a> to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.</p>
<p>Franke came under fire from viewers many times throughout her time on YouTube for her controversial parenting, which included videos of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66719859">withholding food</a> from the children, or sharing she made her son <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZS5XuftWc">sleep on a bean bag</a> for seven months after pranking his younger brother.</p>
<p>In court, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353302">prosecutor Eric Clarke said</a> “the children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment”.</p>
<p>Now, nine years after the channel started, Franke and her friend and business partner Jodi Hilderbrandt are going to prison. </p>
<p>Family channels are very popular on YouTube, with millions of subscribers. They feature the intimate lives of a family, are most often run by the mothers and focus on everyday family life: school, food, parenting, and occasionally discipline.</p>
<p>Family channels have been <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/youtube-family-vloggings-dark-side.html">consistently scrutinised</a> by the media and others online for sharing the lives of children online without their consent. While the Franke case is an extreme example, it raises important questions about sharing children’s lives online.</p>
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<h2>‘Sharenting’</h2>
<p>Parents sharing – or, more often, oversharing – information about their children online has been called “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-14508-036">sharenting</a>”. Sharenting allows parents to publicly post about their children and receive praise and validation, while also providing a sense of community. Many parents online share information in <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-post-photos-of-my-children-online-heres-what-new-parents-need-to-know-about-sharenting-190507">low-risk ways</a> on their private social media accounts. </p>
<p>However, when influencers share their children to their massive public platforms, the risks are magnified. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-post-photos-of-my-children-online-heres-what-new-parents-need-to-know-about-sharenting-190507">Should I post photos of my children online? Here's what new parents need to know about sharenting</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334801974_Our_Baby_on_YouTube_The_Gendered_Life_Stories_of_the_Unborn">Researchers</a> worry about how this level of sharing is taking away agency from children and how it creates an online life story for them to which they cannot consent. There are also real risks of sharing children to <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2016/04/why-youtube-mums-are-taking-their-kids-offline">potential predators online</a>, with concerns about videos being saved or embedded into unsavoury websites. </p>
<p>To combat some of these risks, YouTube recommends parents turn off the embedding function on videos as part of its <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9229229?hl=en-GB">best practice guide</a> for content with children.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="YouTube browser" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">YouTube has a best practice guide for content with children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/manchester-feb-13-youtube-gb-website-176457944">JuliusKielaitis/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In one case, YouTuber Allison Irons took her children off her channel after looking at her analytics and realising her videos were being <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2016/04/why-youtube-mums-are-taking-their-kids-offline">embedded onto websites</a> for paedophiles. After turning off the embedding function, her male viewership dropped from 40% to 17%.</p>
<p>Outside of legal issues, YouTube is largely a self-policing platform, where users and content creators dictate what is appropriate content within their own communities. </p>
<p>There have been multiple cases in which the community has decided the actions of a family channel have been inappropriate. The YouTube channel DaddyOFive shocked the community <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/daddyofive-youtube-abuse-controversy-explained.html">when the parents were shown</a> “pranking” their children on camera, in a way many interpreted as abuse. The channel is no longer active.</p>
<p>Similarly, Myka and James Stauffer received severe backlash after posting videos about <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/youtube-myka-james-stauffer-huxley-adoption.html">giving up their adopted child</a> after making multiple videos sharing his face and name with their followers.</p>
<p>But it’s not just children of influencers who are concerned about their lives being shared online. A survey <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32567783/">conducted in 2020</a> found “children were generally quite negative toward sharenting” and all children in the survey wanted their parents to ask for permission before posting content of them online. </p>
<h2>The case against 8 Passengers</h2>
<p>Ruby Franke and husband Kevin Franke began their YouTube channel, 8 passengers, in 2015. The channel featured the couple and their six children. At the height of the channel, they had 2.5 million subscribers and 1 billion channel views. The channel was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Franke">deleted in 2022</a> after a series of controversies involving the channel. Ruby and Kevin have since separated.</p>
<p>A 2020 petition called for an investigation into the Franke parents based on elements of their videos, including one in which Ruby Franke <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/ruby-franke-utah-mommy-vlogger-pleads-guilty-to-child-abuse.html">refused</a> to drop lunch off at school for her six-year-old daughter, stating it was her responsibility to bring food and teachers were not allowed to feed her. </p>
<p>In 2023, one of Franke’s young children “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/ruby-franke-youtube-8passengers-child-abuse/">escaped</a>”, according to media reports, and asked a neighbour for help, who then contacted the police, leading to this month’s court hearing.</p>
<p>The court heard the children had been victims of severe <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-physically-disciplining-kids-is-an-act-of-violence-31425">corporal punishment</a>, including removal of food and bedding, and physical punishments such as being made to perform wall-sits or do manual labour in harsh weather. </p>
<p>Of course, not all family vloggers are the same as 8 Passengers. However, we do need to consider the ethical ramifications of sharing children online and the rights of all children on family channels.</p>
<h2>What should family vlogging look like?</h2>
<p>The landscape of family channels on YouTube is changing. In 2021, France implemented a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/12/family-vlogs-child-influencers-exploitation-youtube-laws/">law</a> to protect the income of children online. In the United States, the <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-cassidy-propose-bipartisan-bill-to-update-childrens-online-privacy-rules">Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act</a> came into effect in 2021. </p>
<p>The world of sharing your child online is ethically complex. Sharenting could impact the development of a child’s identity formation and <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-impact-of-sharenting-6361714">sense of self</a>. </p>
<p>It’s imperative parents be aware of the dangers of public sharing and take the necessary steps to protect their children. Ask permission before sharing your children online, and consider the long-term effects of curating an online life for them. For more research on online child safety and education, parents should consult the <a href="https://digitalchild.org.au/">Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-arent-there-any-legal-protections-for-the-children-of-influencers-196463">Why aren't there any legal protections for the children of influencers?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220847/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edith Jennifer Hill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While the Ruby Franke case is an extreme example, it raises important questions of sharing children’s lives online.Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226592024-02-09T12:19:09Z2024-02-09T12:19:09ZWhy you might start to hate the influencers you once loved<p>Tattle Life, an anonymous gossip forum, has been described as “<a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2021/04/how-gossip-forum-tattle-life-became-most-toxic-place-internet">the most toxic place on the internet</a>”. “Fake boobs, fake teeth, fake nose, fake life”, “Career is down the drain; she’s still so vain!” and “Always the wedding guest but never the bride” are just a selection of the thread titles on the site. </p>
<p>People are increasingly turning to gossip forums like Tattle Life, Guru Gossip, GOMI (“Get Off My Internets”) and the Blogsnark subreddit to critique the influencers they follow. On these forums, users pick apart everything from the influencer’s social media content to their appearance. Even their relationships with their friends, partners and children come under scrutiny. Yet a surprising phrase is repeated across the forums – “I used to love her”. </p>
<p>Many forum users are former fans of the influencers they now publicly and enthusiastically criticise. So why might you start to hate the influencers you once loved? </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/we-are-living-in-a-digital-dark-age-heres-how-to-protect-your-photos-videos-and-other-data-220933utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">We are living in a ‘digital dark age’ – here’s how to protect your photos, videos and other data</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/instapoetry-is-successful-and-theres-nothing-wrong-with-that-222012utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Instapoetry is successful and there’s nothing wrong with that</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktoks-pomegranate-obsession-the-trendy-fruit-was-also-big-during-the-renaissance-to-talk-about-female-fertility-221440utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">TikTok’s pomegranate obsession: the trendy fruit was also big during the Renaissance to talk about female fertility</a></em></p>
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<p>Influencers excel at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2019.1708781">establishing parasocial relationships</a> with their followers. These are relationships that are largely one-way, but experienced by followers as reciprocal. Favourite influencers can often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucad003">feel like friends</a>, even though they are likely unaware of their followers’ existence. However, our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609">study of two prominent gossip forums</a> found that these parasocial relationships can turn sour, with love and adoration replaced by feelings of hostility and even hatred. </p>
<h2>Feeling excluded</h2>
<p>Influencers typically rise to fame by sharing intimate details about their lives, but later impose boundaries to protect their privacy and mental health. This can shatter the illusion of intimacy, prompting anger from followers who feel entitled to omitted information. One forum user observed: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>You can’t share a relationship with your followers for the best part of ten years then not properly address the break-up … She set the boundaries and level of privacy in her life. She can’t just suddenly shift them and not expect a reaction.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When we feel excluded by an influencer, our feelings can become increasingly hostile. Yet rather than simply unfollowing, many turn to gossip forums to fill the “narrative gaps” with their own theories, backed up with “evidence” gathered through extensive online research. </p>
<p>From inspecting every detail of their posts, to accessing company accounts, posters were committed to uncovering the hidden details of influencers’ lives. They celebrated theories that were proven right, like when a long-suspected pregnancy or breakup was announced, and congratulated themselves on their “detective work”.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609">Our findings</a> indicate that gossip forums enable users to overcome feelings of exclusion by recreating the illusion that they know the influencer intimately. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="woman scrolling through TikTok" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573103/original/file-20240202-15-hj7lmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Forum members often engage in ‘detective work’, scrutinising an influencer’s posts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-viewing-social-media-content-on-2157458727">Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Feeling ignored</h2>
<p>Influencers create the illusion that followers’ relationships with them are reciprocated by “liking” and replying to their comments. However, as their audience grows, they typically become less responsive. Many influencers also delete comments and block comments containing certain keywords. This leads some followers to feel ignored. As one poster in our study observed: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I constantly see her asking questions on Twitter or Instagram and her followers give her really nice feedback or comments and even recommendations and advice. She never replies, says thank you or even just acknowledges them with the little heart/thumbs up button.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Forum members perpetuated the belief that the influencers read the forums. They frequently interpreted influencers’ social media content as attempts to address critiques posted by forum members, with posts like: “Could she make it any more obvious that she’s addressing everything that’s discussed on here!” and “This was her addressing us again.”</p>
<p>Posters often addressed influencers directly, advising them on how to improve their content and repair their relationship with their followers. One commenter prefaced a long list of suggestions with the following statement: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you do read these comments, I wanted to offer a constructive overview of why so many of us used to watch your content, but no longer do. I’m not a catty person, so I have tried to explain as simply and constructively as I can, on a forum where my comment won’t be deleted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our data indicates that posting on gossip forums can help followers feel seen and acknowledged by influencers in a way that they don’t outside of the forums.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hand hovering over keyboard surrounded by social media dislike buttons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573106/original/file-20240202-23-1sjql7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Followers expressed frustration when influencers did not clearly disclose paid ads.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-view-young-woman-using-modern-2200645933">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Feeling exploited</h2>
<p>As an influencer’s fame grows, they profit from their following via increasingly lucrative brand endorsements and partnerships. Followers can feel exploited when influencers only post content with a direct commercial gain. One poster observed: “I cannot believe she has the audacity to post such half-assed, unauthentic sponsored content after five weeks away.”</p>
<p>The forums enable users to maintain intimate knowledge of the influencer’s content through other members’ posts, without supporting them commercially by directly engaging with their social media content.</p>
<p>Followers also expressed frustration when influencers did not clearly disclose paid ads and used the forum to facilitate mass reporting of non-compliant posts to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. Retaliating in this way enabled forum members to alleviate feelings of being exploited.</p>
<p>Gossip forum users are often <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tattle-life-and-the-troll-army-piling-hate-on-influencers-vtf3gkhlp">dismissed as trolls</a> and bullies, but this doesn’t paint a complete picture. Our research provides insight into the appeal of these forums.</p>
<p>The intensity of followers’ parasocial relationships with influencers means that even when the relationship becomes characterised by hostility, they cannot simply walk away but instead seek alternative ways to sustain the relationship and reestablish lost intimacy. </p>
<p>If your own feelings towards your favourite influencer are starting to sour, try to simply allow the parasocial relationship to fizzle out over time. Just as stalking an ex on social media often does more harm than good, gossip forums are an alluring, but often unhealthy, temptation. </p>
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222659/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Mardon receives funding from the Academy of Marketing</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hayley Cocker and Kate Daunt do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our study found that parasocial relationships can turn sour, with love and adoration replaced by feelings of hostility and even hatred.Rebecca Mardon, Reader in Marketing, Cardiff UniversityHayley Cocker, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Lancaster UniversityKate Daunt, Professor of Marketing, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225032024-02-02T22:11:37Z2024-02-02T22:11:37ZElmo’s check-in: Iconic brands and influencer culture create a viral post<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573153/original/file-20240202-23-l9jh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C30%2C4065%2C2268&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Elmo’s post went viral with social media users who resonate with his iconic branding.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://twitter.com/elmo/status/1723346842862194909">(Twitter/Elmo)</a></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/elmos-check-in-iconic-brands-and-influencer-culture-create-a-viral-post" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><em>Sesame Street’s</em> Elmo recently checked in with users on X, asking: “How is everybody doing?” The post quickly went viral, with users sharing their personal issues ranging from stresses at work, the cost-of-living crisis to family problems. The post was also published at the end of January, which was <a href="https://wellbeingtrust.org/blogs/january-is-mental-wellness-month-its-the-perfect-time-to-shift-your-focus-from-the-holidays-to-your-own-personal-well-being/">Mental Wellness Month</a>. </p>
<p>Elmo’s post garnered over 200 million views, 18,000 replies and has been reposted by users over 58,000 times. Many users used memes and other visuals to add extra layers of comedy and sarcasm in their replies to Elmo. </p>
<p>Numerous <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephlongo/elmo-twiter-question-best-responses">celebrities, brands and public figures</a> engaged with Elmo’s post. It also captured the attention of news media, with outlets like the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/style/elmo-x-question.html"><em>New York Times</em></a> reporting on the story.</p>
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<p>The <em><a href="https://twitter.com/freep/status/1752049374547386528">Detroit Free Press</a></em> commiserated over the Lions’s NFL post-season loss, and <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1752518567239536821">U.S. President Joe Biden</a> joined the online conversation to share mental health resources.</p>
<p>Elmo’s post went viral because the character registers with platform users due to the power of <em>Sesame Street</em> as an iconic brand in popular culture. </p>
<p>The virality of Elmo’s X post showcases how fictional characters are turning into influencers. With a social media presence, characters like Elmo are well-suited to produce a viral, meme-fuelled moment that captures public attention. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/barbie-isnt-just-a-movie-star-now-shes-also-a-virtual-social-media-influencer-207885">Barbie isn't just a movie star now — she's also a virtual social media influencer</a>
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<h2>An iconic brand</h2>
<p>Elmo and <em>Sesame Street</em> are examples of what cultural branding and marketing expert Douglas Holt refers to as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2003/03/what-becomes-an-icon-most">iconic brands</a>.” These are companies that are cherished as major cultural symbols. They become iconic because we can connect on a personal level with them. They represent myths that help us construct our identities.</p>
<p>Since <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/08/994738544/the-story-of-sesame-street-from-radical-experiment-to-beloved-tv-mainstay">debuting in 1969</a>, <em>Sesame Street</em> has grown into a major iconic brand. The show, along with its characters, merchandise, storybooks, video games, and now social media accounts, are woven into the everyday lives of many individuals. I myself learned to read with the <em>Sesame Street</em> storybook, <em><a href="https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Don%27t_Cry,_Big_Bird">Don’t Cry, Big Bird</a></em>.</p>
<p>In particular, Elmo has a special status as a cultural icon. He has appeared on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745617/">television programs</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159421/">starred in movies</a>. During the late 1990s, the release of the plush <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1102522435571">Tickle Me Elmo</a> toy became a cultural phenomenon. The 2011 documentary, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/movie-review-being-elmo-a-puppeteers-journey/2011/11/16/gIQADaiXRN_blog.html"><em>Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey</em></a>, highlighted the joy Elmo brought to terminally ill children. </p>
<p>All of these examples highlight Elmo and <em>Sesame Street’s</em> iconic brand that clearly still registers with social media users.</p>
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<h2>Elmo’s brand on social media</h2>
<p><a href="https://hbr.org/2016/03/branding-in-the-age-of-social-media">Holt explains</a> that in order for a brand to remain iconic, they need constant upkeep. Characters and brands like Elmo and <em>Sesame Street</em> now require a social media presence. </p>
<p>Elmo is not the only <em>Sesame Street</em> character to have an X account. <a href="https://twitter.com/OscarTheGrouch">Oscar the Grouch</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BigBird">Big Bird</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MeCookieMonster">Cookie Monster</a> are just some of the other characters joining Elmo on X. </p>
<p>Elmo and his <em>Sesame Street</em> friends represent a growing trend of fictional characters being given human characteristics through social media accounts in a way similar to <a href="https://www.virtualhumans.org">virtual influencers</a>. </p>
<p>Like all fictional characters, Elmo’s X account is, of course, organized by a <a href="https://www.today.com/parents/family/elmo-social-media-manager-christina-vittas-rcna136605">social media manager.</a> But Elmo’s X account further grows his iconic personality, allowing the public to connect with him in new and unique ways. </p>
<p>This is the labour that iconic brands require to remain relevant in popular culture.</p>
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<h2>Memes and branding</h2>
<p>Iconic brands also require the participation of the public as part of their maintenance. The viral sensation of Elmo’s post demonstrates the power of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/crosswords/what-is-a-meme.html">memetics</a>, a concept that explains how memes are created and why they circulate across social media. Memes are a powerful and very important tool of communication for internet users.</p>
<p>Memes give users a visual language that is easily relatable and replicated. This is why Elmo’s post incited platform users to reply to him with personal confessions about their well-being in the form of humour, satire and comedy. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/impersonation-and-parody-shitposters-satirically-mock-elon-musks-chaotic-twitter-takeover-194503">Impersonation and parody: Shitposters satirically mock Elon Musk’s chaotic Twitter takeover</a>
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<p>The virality of Elmo’s post would not have happened if the public did not relate to him and <em>Sesame Street</em> as an iconic brand. </p>
<p>Elmo’s social media accounts ultimately serve as digital marketing for <em>Sesame Street</em> — his current <a href="https://twitter.com/elmo?lang=en">X header photo</a>, for instance, promotes Sesame Street’s program on HBO. Brands are always trying to develop new ways of promoting their product to audiences as part of their upkeep. </p>
<p>In Elmo’s case, iconicity, memetics and influencer culture merged to create a truly viral post.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222503/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aidan Moir has previously received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>The virality of Elmo’s X post showcases how fictional characters are turning into influencers.Aidan Moir, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Media and Film, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212392024-01-18T14:42:19Z2024-01-18T14:42:19ZFemale lifestyle influencers are changing the face of the far right – podcast<p>When you think about the far right, you probably picture groups of young, white men carrying images of swastikas or torches like those seen at the <a href="https://time.com/charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally-clashes/">Unite the Right rally</a> in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. </p>
<p>But the face of the far right is changing, at least on social media. In this episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/the-conversation-weekly-98901">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast, we hear about new research into a cohort of women influencers peddling far-right ideology on mainstream platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. </p>
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<p>Eviane Leidig is a postdoctoral research fellow at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, focusing on far-right ideology, gender and the internet. She spent countless hours following the accounts and posts of female far-right influencers to research <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-women-of-the-far-right/9780231558303">her new book</a> on the issue.</p>
<p>Some of these influencers, she found, are sharing what you’d expect on social media: beauty tutorials, curated photos of a beautiful home, and product recommendations. But interspersed with these may be antisemitic conspiracy theories, anti-feminist messages, and white nationalist sentiments. </p>
<p>“They are merging both their political ideology and their personal brands into one,” Leidig says.</p>
<p>While much of the technology is relatively new, Leidig says the trends she observed have roots in right-wing political history.</p>
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<p>The messaging is rather consistent with the history of conservative thinking, in terms of notions about traditional gender roles for women and for men.</p>
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<p>Leidig says that women are playing a key role in recruitment for, and legitimisation of, far-right movements. By using the tools of social media influencing, they are making extremist ideology “seem acceptable”. </p>
<p>As one former follower she interviewed put it: “A movement without women is doomed to fail.”</p>
<p>To find out more about Leidig’s research into women influencers, listen to the full episode of <a href="https://podfollow.com/the-conversation-weekly/view">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3054/Far_Right_Women_Influencers_Transcript.docx.pdf?1707745526">transcript of this episode</a> is now available. </p>
<p><em>This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany, with assistance from Katie Flood. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.</em></p>
<p><em>You can find us on X, formerly known as Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TC_Audio">@TC_Audio</a>, on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">theconversationdotcom</a> or <a href="mailto:podcast@theconversation.com">via email</a>. You can also subscribe to The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter">free daily email here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our <a href="https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/60087127b9687759d637bade">RSS feed</a> or find out <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-listen-to-the-conversations-podcasts-154131">how else to listen here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221239/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eviane Leidig has received funding from the European Commission and the Research Council of Norway. She is affiliated to Center for Research on Extremism at the University of Oslo, is an associate fellow in current and emerging threats at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and a fellow at the Far Right Analysis Network.</span></em></p>Eviane Leidig talks about her research into women of the far right who have become online influencers. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.Avery Anapol, Commissioning Editor, Politics + Society, The Conversation Weekly PodcastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208462024-01-17T19:07:56Z2024-01-17T19:07:56Z‘A really weird energy’: Gypsy Rose Blanchard went to prison for murder – and is now a social media star<p>After spending eight years in prison in the United States, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released on parole on December 28, 2023. Three weeks later, Blanchard has 9.8 million followers on TikTok and 8.3 million followers on Instagram.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old <a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2016/07/05/gypsy-blanchard-pleads-guilty-murder/86617662/">pleaded guilty</a> in 2016 to second-degree murder after conspiring to kill her mother with then-boyfriend, <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/nick-godejohn-interview/">Nicholas Godejohn</a>, who was sentenced to life in prison. </p>
<p>Gypsy Rose’s mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, was suspected by doctors of having a condition termed “factitious disorder imposed on another”. Once known as Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, the disorder <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/factitious-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356028#:%7E:text=Factitious%20disorder%20imposed%20on%20another,the%20intention%20of%20deceiving%20others.">involves</a> someone imposing symptoms of severe illness on another person. Dee Dee claimed Gypsy Rose suffered from illnesses including muscular dystrophy and leukaemia, and this lead to unnecessary medical interventions given to Gypsy Rose, <a href="https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/what-diseases-did-gypsy-rose-blanchard-fake-dee-dee-the-act">including</a> use of a wheelchair and a feeding tube, unnecessary medications – leading to the removal of her teeth and salivary glands – and multiple surgeries. </p>
<p>The case led to a media frenzy. Many documentaries and films were made about Gypsy Rose and her mother, including the mini-series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5fqDZCjQo">The Act</a> (2019) and documentary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L29EG8b8Gs">Mommy Dead and Dearest</a> (2017). There are countless podcasts released over the years detailing the case, including <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/dee-dee-gypsy-blanchard/id541481026?i=1000385661735">The Generation Why</a> and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhvIeCADQ78">RedHanded Podcast</a>.</p>
<p>With this fame, even before she was released from prison, many young people fully embraced Blanchard into “stan” culture, or <a href="https://stanforddaily.com/2021/08/23/the-dark-side-of-stan-culture/">obsessive fandoms</a>. There were countdowns to her prison release and videos <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsyroseblanchard.1/video/7320705117873917217?q=gypsy%20rose&t=1704950624296">glorifying her</a>.</p>
<p>After she began her social media presence, comments under her TikTok videos <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsyroseblanchard727/video/7321063180677958943">read</a> “WE LOVE YOU GYPSY ROSE”, “My favourite influencer” and “QUEEN”. </p>
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<h2>The price of fame</h2>
<p>Fan culture is complex. Fans are often dedicated to a person and invested in how that person acts. Marketing experts Alison Joubert and Jack Coffin <a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrities-can-be-cancelled-fandoms-are-forever-141775">explore how fandom is</a>:</p>
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<p>deeply rooted in identity and value, and fans are likely to “cancel” people who violate norms of justice and moral responsibility.</p>
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<p>Blanchard’s jail sentence and admission of her role in her mother’s murder is at odds with the norms of moral responsibility, yet many people online are showing their support.</p>
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<p>Popular podcast <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwcUJTbyDOg">Do We Know Them</a> called the stan culture around Blanchard’s rise to fame “disturbing, dystopian, and strange”. </p>
<p>“It’s not that I don’t think she deserves support, it’s that this is a really weird energy to have around this horrible situation,” says co-host Jessi Smiles. </p>
<p>TikTok creator Veronica Skaia <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@veronica.skaia/video/7320316866877000966">posted a video</a> looking at Blanchard and the “influencer pipeline”, saying “we want her to perform for us”. She predicts once Blanchard gains “too much” fame and popularity online and starts receiving brand deals, people will turn on her, wanting her to be “humbled”.</p>
<p>Others are sharing what they hope for Blanchard and many hope she stays off social media and takes the time she needs to reacquaint herself in the world.</p>
<h2>Authentic and curated posts</h2>
<p>At the time of writing, Blanchard has 17 videos on her TikTok account, with over 510 million views. The first four videos are highly produced promotional videos for her forthcoming book and television special, <a href="https://www.mylifetime.com/shows/the-prison-confessions-of-gypsy-rose-blanchard">The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard</a>. </p>
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<p>Other videos on her page follow very common social media tropes. Blanchard has posted a get ready with me (#GRWM) video, an outfit of the day (#OOTD) and vlog-style videos showing her first days out of prison. These videos are posted with the accompanying hashtags and captions of someone who is aware of social media trends, including the consistent use of #ThePrisonConfessionsOfGypsyRoseBlanchard.</p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsyroseblanchard727/video/7320681745999809822">GRWM video</a>, with over 35 million views, you can hear Blanchard asking someone off-screen, “How does the get ready with me work? Do they watch the whole hour video?”. The person responds no, and asks her if she has heard of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@alixearle?lang=en">Alix Earle</a>, a TikToker famous for her GRWM videos. The person off-screen then shows Blanchard a video of Earle.</p>
<p>This video is uncanny. We are watching a woman who was famously infantalised by her mother for years. She has now emerged from prison, an articulate 32-year-old, who seemingly shows limited understanding of social media, despite her massive audience.</p>
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<p>Online success, particularly for influencers and brands, hinges upon their ability to appear <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Mediating-Memory-Tracing-the-Limits-of-Memoir/Avieson-Giles-Joseph/p/book/9780367667429">authentic</a> and to be trusted. We want to know what we can expect from an influencer. A consistent authorial voice and gradually revealing information makes us feel like we are listening to a friend. </p>
<p>Considering Blanchard through this lens is complex. The videos on her page are a combination of highly curated media promotion and very raw vlog-style footage. It is often apparent Blanchard is a social media novice. </p>
<p>This contrast is uncommon for someone with such a large online following. </p>
<h2>Questioning authenticity</h2>
<p>Blanchard’s authenticity has previously been called into question. Many speculate about her role in the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gypsy-rose-blanchard-shooting-revelation_n_65988440e4b0f9f6621cb969">death of her mother</a>, and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/young-wheelchair-bound-woman-treated-illnesses-ended-prison/story?id=52138979">how much she knew</a> about her mother’s false health claims and the resulting fraud in accepting the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/228628/how-dee-dee-blanchard-made-money-with-no-job">charity of their community</a>.</p>
<p>It is strange to see someone occupy a position of trust and influence on a social media platform after years of speculation about the truth in their life. Away from the documentaries and the mini-series for the first time, we are going to hear Blanchard’s story from the source.</p>
<p>In a video posted January 17, Blanchard explores “<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsyroseblanchard727/video/7324829597093219615">the point</a>” of her social media presence. She explains her aim is to spread awareness about Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. She defines the illness and discusses symptoms to look out for. She ends the video with a call to action, asking her views to post in the comments what they think needs to change in the healthcare system to protect children from medical abuse.</p>
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<p>The media stories around Blanchard have presented a curated version of her life. Her story, now being shared online, demonstrates a different level of curation. For now, the storytelling is in the hands of the subject and we get to experience the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard through her own voice – and the lens of TikTok.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/save-your-outrage-online-cancer-fakers-may-be-suffering-a-different-kind-of-illness-44277">Save your outrage: online cancer fakers may be suffering a different kind of illness</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edith Jennifer Hill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>She pleaded guilty to second degree murder and now has 10 million TikTok followers – what’s behind the influencer fame of Gypsy Rose Blanchard?Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2176572023-12-04T13:26:31Z2023-12-04T13:26:31ZWith the end of the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, the creator economy is the next frontier for organized labor<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560585/original/file-20231121-21-zja6ti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=59%2C51%2C4883%2C3238&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">YouTuber Matthew Smith, who posts under the name DangMattSmith, takes a selfie with fans at VidCon Anaheim in June 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/dangmattsmith-takes-selfie-with-fans-at-vidcon-anaheim-2023-news-photo/1501722144?adppopup=true">Unique Nicole/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hollywood <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sag-aftra-contract-deal-agreement-actors-ai/">writers and actors recently proved</a> that they could go toe-to-toe with powerful media conglomerates. After going on strike in the summer of 2023, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sag-aftra-contract-deal-agreement-actors-ai/">they secured</a> better pay, more transparency from streaming services and safeguards from <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-hollywood-actors-and-writers-afraid-of-a-cinema-scholar-explains-how-ai-is-upending-the-movie-and-tv-business-210360">having their work exploited or replaced by artificial intelligence</a>.</p>
<p>But the future of entertainment extends well beyond Hollywood. <a href="https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/content-creator">Social media creators</a> – otherwise known as influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers, vloggers and live streamers – entertain and inform a vast portion of the planet.</p>
<p>For the past decade, we’ve mapped the contours and dimensions of the <a href="https://nyupress.org/9781479846894/">global social media entertainment industry</a>. Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, these creators struggle to be seen as entertainers worthy of basic labor protections. </p>
<p>Platform policies and government regulations have proved capricious or neglectful. Meanwhile, creators’ bottom-up initiatives to collectively organize have sputtered.</p>
<h2>Living on the edge</h2>
<p>Industry estimates regarding the size and scale of the creator economy vary. But <a href="https://ir.citi.com/gps/7PUfiT7fJPblL%2FqpQla8YnPTu1opFVW5Qb5fu0LPwJGLKt4p0HcsDxN87TOJ%2F6kA%2FbMcrnTJTn8SFOdAlpoihg%3D%3D">Citibank estimates</a> there are over 120 million creators, and an April 2023 Goldman Sachs report predicted that the creator economy would double in size, <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027.html">from US$250 billion to $500 billion</a>, by 2027. </p>
<p>According to Forbes, the “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2023/09/26/top-creators-2023/?sh=719659204c0c">Top 50 Creators</a>” altogether have 2.6 billion followers and have hauled in an estimated $700 million in earnings. The list includes <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/magazine/mrbeast-youtube.html">MrBeast</a>, who performs stunts and records giveaways, and makeup artist-cum-true crime podcaster <a href="https://www.youtube.com/baileysarian">Bailey Sarian</a>.</p>
<p>The windfalls earned by these social media stars are the exception, not the norm.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.signalfire.com/blog/creator-economy">venture capitalist firm SignalFire</a> estimates that less than 4% of creators make over $100,000 a year, although <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/creativegroup/youtube/meet-the-creator-middle-class/">YouTube-funded research</a> points to a rising middle class of creators who are able to sustain careers with relatively modest followings.</p>
<p>These are the users who find themselves most vulnerable to opaque changes to platform policies and algorithms.</p>
<p>Platforms like to “<a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/move-fast-break-things-facebook-motto/">move fast and break things</a>,” to use Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s infamous expression. And since the creator economy relies on social media platforms to reach audiences, creators’ livelihoods are subject to rapid, iterative changes in platforms’ features, services and agreements. </p>
<p>Yes, various platforms have introduced business opportunities for creators, such as YouTube’s advertising partnership feature or Twitch’s virtual goods store. However, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/21/twitch-subcription-revenue-share-changes/">the platforms’ terms of use can flip on a switch</a>. For example, in September 2022, Twitch changed its fee structure. Some streamers who were retaining 70% of all subscription revenue generated from their accounts saw this proportion drop to 50%.</p>
<p>In 2020, TikTok, facing rising competition from YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, launched its billion-dollar Creator Fund. The fund was supposed to allow creators to get directly paid for their content. Instead, <a href="https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-stars-creator-fund-payouts-222006327.html">creators complained</a> that every 1,000 views only translated to a few cents. TikTok <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/tiktok-is-ending-reviled-creator-fund-says-replacement-offers-bigger-income/">suspended the fund</a> in November 2023.</p>
<h2>Bias as a feature, not a bug</h2>
<p>The livelihoods of many fashion, beauty, fitness and food creators depend on deals brokered with brands that want these influencers to promote goods or services to their followers.</p>
<p>Yet throughout the creator economy, people of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ have encountered bias. Unequal and unfair compensation from brands is a recurring issue, with <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/msl-study-reveals-racial-pay-gap-in-influencer-marketing-301437451.html?tc=eml_cleartime">one 2021 report</a> revealing a pay gap of roughly 30% between white creators and creators of color.</p>
<p>Along with brand biases, platforms can exacerbate systemic bias. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211003066">Creator scholar Sophie Bishop</a> has demonstrated how nontransparent algorithms can categorize “desirability” among influencers along lines of race, gender, class and sexual orientation. </p>
<p>Then there’s what creator scholar Zoë Glatt calls the “<a href="https://zoeglatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Glatt-2023-The-intimacy-triple-bind-Structural-inequalities-and-relational-labour-in-the-influencer-industry.pdf">intimacy triple bind</a>”: Marginalized creators are at higher risk of trolling and harassment, they secure lower fees for advertising, and they are expected to divulge more personal details to generate more engagement and revenue.</p>
<p>Couple these precarious conditions with the whims and caprices of volatile online communities that can turn beloved creators <a href="https://www.insider.com/mrbeasts-curing-disability-videos-upsetting-reputation-2023-5">into villains in the blink of a text or post</a>, and even the world’s most successful creators live on a precipice of losing their livelihoods. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Large Black man hunches over a meal of fried seafood as he holds his smartphone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560537/original/file-20231120-26-tp4qis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Food influencer Larry Mcleod, 47, better known on social media as Big Schlim, reviews the restaurant Shellfish Market in Washington, D.C.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/washington-dc-larry-mcleod-of-greenbelt-better-known-on-news-photo/1718277220?adppopup=true">Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Rumblings of solidarity</h2>
<p>Unlike their counterparts in the legacy media industries, creators have neither taken easily nor well to collective action as they operate from their bedrooms and fight for more eyeballs.</p>
<p>Yet some members of this creator class recognize that the bedroom-boardroom power imbalance is a bottom line matter that requires bottom-up initiative. </p>
<p>The Creators Guild of America, or CGA, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/28/creators-guild-america-influencer-labor-rights-nonprofit/">which launched in August 2023</a>, is but one of many successors to the original Internet Creators’ Guild, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20688929/internet-creators-guild-shutting-down-hank-green-youtube-copyright-claims-monetization">which folded in 2019</a>. Paradoxically, CGA describes itself as a “professional service organization,” not a labor union, yet claims to offer benefits “similar to those offered by unions.” </p>
<p><a href="https://dot.la/tiktok-creators-labor-union-2658380734.html">There are other movements afoot</a>: A group of TikTok creators formed a Discord group in September 2022 to discuss unionizing. There’s also the <a href="https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2023/04/12/announcing-new-twitch-unity-guild-leaders-and-our-call-for-members/">Twitch Unity Guild</a>, a program launched in December 2022 for networking, development and celebration and includes a dedicated Discord space. In response to the rampant bias in influencer marketing, creator-led firms like “<a href="https://www.theverge.com/22684237/fuck-you-pay-me-lindsey-lee-lugrin-decoder-interview">F–k You Pay Me </a>” are demanding greater fairness, transparency and accountability from brands and advertisers. </p>
<p>Twitch streamers are already seeing some of their organizing efforts pay off. In June 2023, after a year of repeated changes in streamer fees and brand deals, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/06/15/twitch-introduces-7030-revenue-split-for-some-streamers-through-new-program-with-some-caveats/?sh=44fe992d6759">the company capitulated</a> in response to the backlash of their top streamers threatening to leave. </p>
<p>None of these initiatives has yet attained the legal status of unions such as the Writers Guild of America. Meanwhile, efforts by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to recruit creators have proved limited. <a href="https://lawecommons.luc.edu/lclr/vol34/iss2/4/">Legal scholar Sara Shiffman</a> has written about how SAG-AFTRA provides creators with health and retirement benefits, but offers no resources to ensure fair and equitable compensation from platforms or advertisers. Nonetheless, <a href="https://time.com/6301824/influencers-sag-strike/">while on strike</a>, SAG-AFTRA threatened creators that partnered with studios with a lifetime ban from joining the union.</p>
<p>And despite these bottom-up efforts, the tech behemoths refuse to recognize creators’ fledgling organizations. When a union for YouTubers formed in Germany in 2018, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/26/20833315/youtube-union-youtubers-negotiate-germany-meeting">YouTube refused to negotiate with it</a>. Nonetheless, you’ll see companies trot out their biggest stars when they find themselves under regulatory scrutiny. That’s what happened when <a href="https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/03/20/tiktok-project-texas-restrict-act-ban-congress-shou-zi-chew/">TikTok sponsored creators to lobby politicians</a> who were debating banning the platform.</p>
<h2>An invisible class of labor</h2>
<p>Meanwhile, most governments have failed to provide support for – or even recognition of – creator rights. </p>
<p>Within the U.S., creators “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/26/creator-economy-influencers-youtubers-social-media/">barely exist</a>” in official records, as technology reporters Drew Harwell and Taylor Lorenz recently pointed out in The Washington Post. The U.S. Census Bureau makes no mention of social media as a profession; it is invisible as a distinctive class of labor. </p>
<p>To date, the Federal Trade Commission is the only U.S. agency <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/1001a-influencer-guide-508_1.pdf">to introduce regulation</a> tied to the work of creators, and it’s limited to disclosure guidelines for advertising and sponsored content. </p>
<p>Even as the European Union has operated at the forefront of tech and platform policy, creators rate scant mention in the body’s laws. Writing about the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act, legal scholars <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0267364923000808">Bram Duivendvoorde and Catalina Goanta</a> criticize the EU for leaving “influencer marketing out of the material scope of its specific rules,” a blind spot that they describe as “one of its main pitfalls.” </p>
<p>The success of the 2023 Hollywood strikes could be just the beginning of a larger global movement for creator rights. But in order for this new class of creators to access the full breadth of their economic and human rights – to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I91DJZKRxs&ab_channel=Movieclips">borrow from the movie “Jaws”</a> – we’re gonna need a bigger boat.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217657/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Cunningham receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Craig does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even the world’s most successful creators can see their livelihoods threatened by social media companies that routinely change their algorithms and policies with impunity.David Craig, Clinical Associate Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and JournalismStuart Cunningham, Distinguished Professor of Media and Communication, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2117492023-10-27T01:24:05Z2023-10-27T01:24:05ZHow apps and influencers are changing the way we sleep, for better or for worse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554430/original/file-20231017-21-7t15ti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C0%2C997%2C667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worried-woman-watching-bad-online-content-1074562523">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is the final article in The Conversation’s six-part series on insomnia, which charts the rise of insomnia during industrialisation to sleep apps today. Read other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/insomnia-series-144018">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>Insomnia is not just a personal issue that affects an individual’s health and wellbeing. It’s a <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/360985-Sleep-Health-Foundation-and-Australasian-Sleep-Association.pdf">public health</a> issue, affecting public safety. It’s a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/33/2/242/7049369?login=false">socioeconomic</a> issue, as poorer sleep is linked to a <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094412">lower education and income</a>. And, increasingly, it’s a commercial issue.</p>
<p>The global insomnia market is expected to reach <a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/insomnia-market">US$6.3 billion by 2030</a>, driven by increased diagnoses <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-9566.12820">and</a> therapy, as well as sleep aids, including <a href="https://www.openpr.com/news/3228602/sleep-tech-devices-market-2023-driving-factors-forecast">sleep apps</a>.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-short-history-of-insomnia-and-how-we-became-obsessed-with-sleep-211729">A short history of insomnia and how we became obsessed with sleep</a>
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<h2>There’s an app for that</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27213628">numerous</a> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-020-0244-4">digital devices and apps</a> to help people sleep better. You can buy wearable devices, such as smartwatches and smart rings or wristbands, to digitally monitor your sleep. You can download apps that record how long you sleep and where you can log your tiredness and concentration levels. </p>
<p>Some devices are designed to promote sleep, by generating <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-brown-noise-can-this-latest-tiktok-trend-really-help-you-sleep-188528">white or brown noise</a> or other peaceful sounds. You can also buy “smart” <a href="https://thegadgetflow.com/blog/smart-pillows/">pillows</a>, <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-mattress/best-smart-mattress">mattresses</a> and a range of <a href="https://sleepspace.com/smart-lights-improve-perceived-sleep-quality/">smart light-fittings and lightbulbs</a> to help track and improve sleep.</p>
<p>Such technologies operate to “digitise” sleep as part of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Quantified-Self-Deborah-Lupton/dp/150950060X">the quantified self</a>”. They render sleep practices and bodily responses into data you can review. So these devices are promoted as offering scientific insights into how to control the disruption to people’s lives caused by poor sleep.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqpQFLMAp-x","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>You can listen to “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/08/rise-of-sleep-story-apps-talking-books-that-send-you-to-sleep">sleep stories</a>” – bedtime stories, music or guided meditations meant to help you sleep. Then there are the sleep <a href="https://blog.feedspot.com/insomnia_blogs/">blogs</a>, <a href="https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-sleep-podcasts">podcasts</a> and social media content on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/insomnia?lang=en0">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9sR_T76H34">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqpQFLMAp-x/">Instagram</a>. </p>
<p>Where there is social media content, there are social media “influencers” sharing their take on sleep and how to get more of it. These “<a href="https://influencers.feedspot.com/sleep_instagram_influencers/">sleep influencers</a>” have accumulated large numbers of followers. Some have <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66524539">profited</a>, including those who live-stream themselves sleeping or invite audiences to try to wake them up – for a price.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1693353491161325720"}"></div></p>
<h2>Sharing and connecting can help</h2>
<p>There may be benefits to joining online communities of people who can’t sleep, whether that’s in an online forum such as <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/sleep/?rdt=60835">Reddit</a> or a specially designed <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4861843/">sleep improvement program</a>.</p>
<p>Sharing and connection can ease the loneliness we know <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/34/11/1519/2454670?login=false">can impact</a> sleep. And technology can facilitate this connection when no-one else is around.</p>
<p>We know social media communities provide much-needed <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8156131/">support</a> for health problems more generally. They allow people to share personal experiences with others who understand, and to swap tips for the best health practitioners and therapies. </p>
<p>So online sharing, support and feelings of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-science-of-fandom/202303/can-social-media-and-online-communities-be-good-for-us">belonging</a> can alleviate the stresses and unhappiness that may prevent people from finding a good night’s sleep.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-activism-trucker-caps-the-fascinating-story-behind-long-covid-168465">Social media, activism, trucker caps: the fascinating story behind long COVID</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>What is this fixation costing us?</h2>
<p>But there are some problems with digitising sleep. A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/09/obsession-sleep-harm-drivers-legal-sleep-limit">focus</a> on sleep can create a <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-tracking-your-sleep-a-good-idea-190231">vicious cycle</a> in which worrying about a lack of sleep <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796717301638">can itself</a><a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/misbelieving-youve-got-sleep-problems-can-be-more-harmful-actual-lack-sleep"> worsen sleep</a>. </p>
<p>Using sleep-tracking apps and wearable devices can encourage people to become <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-tracking-your-sleep-a-good-idea-190231">overly fixated</a> on the metrics these technologies gather. </p>
<p>The data generated by digital devices are not necessarily <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-020-0244-4">accurate or useful</a>, particularly for groups such as <a href="https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/6/e26462">older people</a>. Some young people say they feel <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10949968221142806">worse</a> after using a sleep app. </p>
<p>There are also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8157780/">data privacy issues</a>. Some digital developers do not adequately protect the very personal information smart sleep devices or apps generate.</p>
<p>Then, there’s the fact using digital devices before bedtime <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-electronics-affect-sleep">is itself</a> linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721823000347">sleep problems</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-sleep-trackers-accurate-heres-what-researchers-currently-know-152500">Are sleep trackers accurate? Here's what researchers currently know</a>
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<h2>Are we missing the bigger issue?</h2>
<p>Other critics argue this intense focus on sleep ignores that sleeping well is impossible for some people, however hard they try or whatever expensive devices they buy. </p>
<p>People living in poor housing or in noisy environments have little choice over the conditions in which they seek good sleep. </p>
<p>Factors such as people’s income and education levels <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/12/8/80">affect</a> their sleep, just as they do for <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12645">other health issues</a>. And <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721823000864">multiple socioeconomic factors</a> (for instance, gender, ethnicity and economic hardship) can combine, making it even more likely to have poor sleep.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Plane flying low over houses" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554442/original/file-20231018-25-99hpyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People living in poor housing or in noisy environments have little choice over their sleep environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/heathrow-airport-london-9-september-british-114954946">Steve Heap/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sleep quality is therefore just as much as a <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12645">socioeconomic</a> as a biological issue. Yet, much of the advice offered to people about how to improve their sleep focuses on individual responsibility to make changes. It assumes everyone can buy the latest technologies or can change their environment or lifestyle to find better “sleep health”. </p>
<p>Until “<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5175/5/1/13">sleep health inequalities</a>” are improved, it is unlikely digital devices or apps can fix sleep difficulties at the population level. A good night’s sleep should not be the preserve of the privileged.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/counting-the-wrong-sheep-why-trouble-sleeping-is-about-more-than-just-individual-lifestyles-and-habits-210695">Counting the wrong sheep: why trouble sleeping is about more than just individual lifestyles and habits</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211749/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Lupton receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Fixating on sleep can make your sleep worse. But some people crave the connection online sleep communities provide.Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2110932023-09-26T22:51:51Z2023-09-26T22:51:51ZFamily vlogs can entertain, empower and exploit<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548388/original/file-20230914-27-rfrjml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C23%2C5329%2C3523&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Family vlogs can be a double-edged sword that provide families with income, but also lead to exploitation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/family-vlogs-can-entertain-empower-and-exploit" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>YouTube channels belonging to American content creator Ruby Franke were recently <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9960389/ruby-franke-youtube-kevin-jodi-hildebrandt/">scrubbed from the site</a> after the YouTuber was charged with child abuse. Franke was known for making parenting videos on her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers. Her videos frequently featured content on the family and her six children.</p>
<p>Police in Utah said the charges were laid after Franke’s 12-year-old son <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2023/09/05/heres-what-we-know-about-arrest/">climbed out of the window</a> of a home and went to a neighbour to ask for food and water. Police said the boy and his younger sister were found emaciated and required hospitalization. </p>
<p>As blogs and live journals gather internet dust, <a href="https://www.wix.com/blog/photography/how-to-vlog">vlogging</a> has emerged as a new source of intimate entertainment, and for creators, potential income. However, they also raise serious questions about exploitation and the privacy rights of children.</p>
<h2>What is vlogging?</h2>
<p>Vlogs are videos, usually published through social media, that share the creator’s personal thoughts and experiences. Family vlogs like Franke’s are a popular form of this medium, where parents take viewers into their homes. The content might involve taking viewers along on the family’s daily routine. Family vlogging channels upload videos sharing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq1hI0Mmyic">significant milestones</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxUHjIFkeIk&t=401s">morning routines</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkpvqOUrWec">preparing for school</a>. </p>
<p>Many might feel uneasy about <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-be-a-social-media-influencer-you-might-want-to-think-again-203306">content creation</a> that showcases private family life. However, at the same time, vlogs might offer families agency and alternative means of making ends meet at a time of stagnant wages and soaring living costs.</p>
<p>Thinking about vlogging as a kind of social reproduction allows us to think through the double-edged sword of content creation. Social reproduction refers to the labour of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8330.00207">lifemaking</a>: the day-to-day work of care, education and sustenance. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132518791730">Feminist theorists</a> use this term to think about the ways in which caring labour supports and shapes our social, political and economic world.</p>
<p>Social reproduction is “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8330.00207">the fleshy, messy and indeterminate stuff of everyday life</a>.” It involves the responsibilities and relationships involved in maintaining daily life.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and two young children sit in front of cameras and a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544800/original/file-20230825-21-qhucf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Many might feel uneasy about content that showcases private family life. However, vlogs offer alternative means of making ends meet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A response to the pressures of parenting</h2>
<p>Family vlogging did not develop in a vacuum. Instead, the trend towards “mumpreneurs” emerged from within a <a href="https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii100/articles/nancy-fraser-contradictions-of-capital-and-care">care crisis</a>. The cost of living is rising, wages are stagnating, and government benefits do not provide the support families need. Parents — and mothers in particular — are facing significant pressures when it comes to caring for children and the household.</p>
<p>There has been a rise in gender equity in the workforce, however there is still <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-we-reduce-gender-inequality-in-housework-heres-how-58130">huge inequity</a> when it comes to work in the home. Women are working unprecedented (paid and unpaid) hours, and are often being told they are <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/women-work-more/143-amanda-watson.html">failing at both</a>.</p>
<p>As a response to these pressures, mothers developed their own online communities to express the <a href="https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40238">highs and lows of parenting</a>. These communities began as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2016.1187642">“mommy blogs,”</a> but have increasingly moved to vlog format over the years. </p>
<p>Family vlogs can offer intimate counter-narratives to the expectations of parenthood. Mothers can share <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813221123663">the anxieties and pressures they face</a> and offer support to one another.</p>
<h2>Commodifying families</h2>
<p>However, there can be downsides to the trend. Many family vlogs are highly curated productions that can perpetuate ideas about what constitutes “good” motherhood, rather than challenge racialized, gendered and classist <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305117707186">ideals of motherhood</a>. In this way, vlogs are less about connection and more about commodification.</p>
<p>The implications of this monetization are complex. Performing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcy008">socially desirable</a> forms of motherhood can reproduce racial, sexual and class-based exclusion around who does and who does not count as a good mother. Dominant ideas of “motherhood” are shaped by heterosexual family structures, and there is a <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/37354/women-race-and-class-by-angela-y-davis/">long history</a> of surveilling and <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9781442691520/exalted-subjects/">disciplining</a> racialized parents.</p>
<p>YouTube <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851">creators</a> depend on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/intl/en_ph/creators/how-things-work/video-monetization/">viewership and subscribers</a> to monetize their content. They also use YouTube advertisements, sponsorships and brand deals to generate income. While some creators can make millions of dollars, most do not. Many are precarious workers with fluctuating incomes determined by <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/141805#zippy=%2Chow-does-youtube-choose-what-videos-to-promote%2Chow-are-videos-ranked-on-home">YouTube’s algorithm</a>. </p>
<p>On the other hand, content creation allows mothers to rebel against economic insecurity by making their motherhood a source of income. While this offers a means of paying the bills, who benefits and who doesn’t when a certain version of the family is commodified? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and a young girl preparing food in a kitchen while a smartphone films" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544801/original/file-20230825-15-k4cmur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many content creators are dependent on social media algorithms that determine what content gets the most views.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Kids and clickbait: What is the law?</h2>
<p>Exploitation is twofold for family vloggers. Firstly, in the United States, parents are considered responsible for protecting their underage children’s privacy information and consent. Many influencers live or move to the U.S. for <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1987946563736">creator funds</a> and better networking opportunities. This can become an issue when <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-arent-there-any-legal-protections-for-the-children-of-influencers-196463">parents exploit their children</a> while also being <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/youtube-lets-lawless-lucrative-sharenting-industry-put-kids-mercy-internet-1635112">in charge of providing consent</a>. </p>
<p>Secondly, <a href="https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en//pubs/archive/45530.pdf">social media algorithms</a> determine whether a video becomes popular on a platform, which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/intl/en_ca/creators/how-things-work/content-creation-strategy/">prioritizes content that gains the most views</a>.</p>
<p>The algorithms can <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-be-a-social-media-influencer-you-might-want-to-think-again-203306">change without warning</a>, so creators never know if their content will remain popular. If family vloggers choose to stop showcasing their children on their channels, they might <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/posting-kids-faces-social-media-privacy-49045872">lose viewership</a> and priority within the algorithm.</p>
<p>Existing U.S. laws are unequipped to handle this new form of child labour. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/08/25/illinois-child-influencer-earnings-law-history-jackie-coogan/">The Coogan Act</a> attempts to protect the income of child performers, but it does not account for the unique conditions of child social media stars. </p>
<p>Most recently, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/child-influencers-law-illinois-reaction-rcna99831">Illinois is the first U.S. state</a> to pass a law to ensure child influencers featured in monetized videos receive financial compensation. The law will take effect in July 2024, and there is hope that other states will follow suit. </p>
<p>This is a good start, but it is not enough. Policymakers should also look at the steps France has taken to protect child influencers. In 2020, the country passed a law that gives children the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54447491">right to be forgotten</a>. This means that child influencers can request that the platform removes content featuring them without their parent’s permission.</p>
<p>Laws need to include more than financial compensation for child influencers. There need to be regulations protecting children’s privacy, rights to have content removed and preventing children from being overworked. There also needs to be a call for greater regulation and transparency of social media algorithms that control and manipulate what is profitable.</p>
<p>Whether it is entertainment, exploitation or employment, family vlogging is a reminder of the complex interconnections between care work and wage work. As the households of strangers stream across our screens, parents and lawmakers must think carefully about the impacts on families and children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211093/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Hall receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christina Pilgrim does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Vlogging has emerged as a new source of intimate entertainment, and for creators, potential income. However, they also raise serious questions about exploitation and the privacy rights of children.Rebecca Hall, Assistant Professor, Global Development Studies, Queen's University, OntarioChristina Pilgrim, Master's student, Department of Sociology, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2133112023-09-21T15:09:17Z2023-09-21T15:09:17ZHow BookTok trends are influencing what you read – whether you use TikTok or not<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549334/original/file-20230920-27-dsmzsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C12%2C8218%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/creative-collage-portrait-huge-hand-black-2170471681">Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve been in a bookshop recently, you may have seen references to BookTok – whether it’s stickers on books or whole tables dedicated to “BookTok favourites”.</p>
<p>BookTok is a community on the social media app TikTok. Creators make short videos recommending, reviewing, or just generally chatting about books. This community has become one of the biggest on the platform and its hashtag (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/BookTok">#BookTok</a>) has been used on over <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemcneal/colleen-hoover-booktok-bestsellers">60 billion videos</a>. BookTok’s influence over the publishing industry and what young people are reading is staggering.</p>
<p>Online reading communities have been around for a while. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> – a social cataloguing platform where readers can follow friends and authors, get book recommendations and read user-submitted reviews – was launched in 2007, and there are other communities on sites such as YouTube (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/booktube">BookTube</a>) and Instagram (<a href="https://readerhaven.com/how-to-start-a-bookstagram/">Bookstagram</a>). </p>
<p>However, none of these sites seem to have captured the attention of readers, publishers and retailers quite like BookTok. Caroline Hardman, a literary agent at Hardman & Swainson, corroborates this, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/06/i-cant-stress-how-much-booktok-sells-teen-literary-influencers-swaying-publishers">telling The Guardian</a>: “It’s having a strong effect on what publishers look for.”</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.
_
_You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/friends-with-benefits-what-a-sex-and-relationship-therapist-wants-you-to-know-210854utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Friends with benefits – what a sex and relationship therapist wants you to know</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/girl-math-may-not-be-smart-financial-advice-but-it-could-help-women-feel-more-empowered-with-money-211780utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">‘Girl math’ may not be smart financial advice, but it could help women feel more empowered with money</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/love-or-hate-tiktoks-viral-bottle-smashing-trend-a-neuroscientist-explains-what-that-says-about-your-brain-211963utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Love or hate TikTok’s viral bottle-smashing trend? A neuroscientist explains what that says about your brain</a></em></p>
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<h2>Is BookTok’s impact positive or negative?</h2>
<p>The main demographic of BookTok creators, viewers and authors is <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/2023/01/02/never-underestimate-the-power-of-booktok/">young women</a>. While books popular with young women have gained immense broad popularity before – for example, the <a href="https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-twilight-saga/">Twilight saga</a> (from 2005) by Stephenie Meyer, and the paranormal romance fever that followed – young women have rarely been taken seriously as either critics and readers.</p>
<p>But times are changing. The books most popular with BookTok – such as romance, fantasy and the hybrid genre “romantasy” – are being <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/Frankfurt-Book-Fair/article/90668-frankfurt-book-fair-2022-romantasy-and-revelry-on-the-fair-floor.html">picked up more and more by publishers</a> and <a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/login?Refdoc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ethebookseller%2Ecom%2Ffeatures%2Fpublishers%2Dand%2Dmarketeers%2Dlaud%2Dimpact%2Dof%2Dbooktok%2Din%2Dthe%2Dresurgence%2Dof%2Dromance#:%7E:text=Maddy%20Marshall%2C%20senior%20marketing%20manager,there%20are%20whole%20table%20displays">displayed more prominently in bookshops</a>. </p>
<p>Book series such as <a href="https://sarahjmaas.com/books/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-series/">A Court of Thorns and Roses</a> by Sarah J Maas (from 2015) are immensely popular on BookTok – with some videos about the series amassing <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsthesuriel/video/7216831361120865578?q=A%20Court%20of%20Thorns%20and%20Roses&t=1694440196044">over a million views</a>. The series is marketed alongside new releases like <a href="https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-hurricane-wars-the-hurricane-wars-book-1-thea-guanzon">The Hurricane Wars</a> by Thea Guanzon or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/261299-hades-x-persephone-saga">A Touch of Chaos</a> by Scarlett St. Clair, with Maas’s series appearing as “similar” or “recommended” on Amazon, Waterstones and Goodreads, as well as often being mentioned in readers’ reviews.</p>
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<img alt="Young woman in a yellow hoodie smiling at her phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549337/original/file-20230920-15-h5u8vx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young women are shaping publishing like never before.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-millennial-hispanic-teen-girl-checking-1734170210">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Mythology retellings are also immensely popular on BookTok, sparked by titles such as <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/song-of-achilles-9781526648174/">The Song of Achilles</a> by Madeline Miller (2011). Such titles now heavily feature on publishers’ new release and coming soon lists. </p>
<p>While it is fascinating to see that young women and their tastes can have such a big impact on the publishing industry, there’s a risk it may homogenise the industry. Literary critic <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/booktok-tiktok-books-community">Barry Pierce</a> has said that BookTok reads “all sort of have the same cover”. Meanwhile author <a href="https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/sweetbitter-author-stephanie-danler-booktok-instagram">Stephanie Danler said</a> of her foray into BookTok: “It seemed impossible to discover different fiction. It was the same 20 books over and over.” </p>
<p>BookTok also has a problem with diversity – in more ways than one. Its recommendations are <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2022/11/booktok-racial-bias-tiktok-algorithm.html">overwhelmingly by white authors</a>, and it is unclear what the long-term effects of this will be on both publishing and the young readers who flock to the app for recommendations. Furthermore, by catering to this huge audience of young women, publishers are forgoing books by men, <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/54863/1/where-have-all-the-young-male-novelists-gone">especially emerging writers</a>.</p>
<h2>Reviving books and identifying as ‘readers’</h2>
<p>BookTok is also proving a powerful tool for renewing interest in past titles. At the inaugural <a href="https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-book-awards-booktok-bolu-babalola#:%7E:text=The%20inaugural%20TikTok%20Book%20Awards,fans%20voting%20via%20the%20app.">BookTok Awards</a> held in August, Dolly Alderton’s memoir <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/306824/everything-i-know-about-love-by-alderton-dolly/9780241982105">Everything I Know About Love</a> won in the “best book to end a reading slump” category, despite being published in 2018. </p>
<p>These awards even had a “best BookTok revival” category, with the award going to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813). It’s funny to think that Austen, an author so revered that is she is printed on the <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/polymer-10-pound-note#:%7E:text=We%20first%20issued%20our%20current,features%20the%20author%20Jane%20Austen.">£10 note</a>, is being “revived”, but the younger demographic of BookTok may mean that new audiences are coming to even such established authors.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1692261746365411602"}"></div></p>
<p>It also makes startlingly clear how much BookTok and its creators are tastemakers who are shaping what and how young people read. As some creators themselves <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/25/the-rise-of-booktok-meet-the-teen-influencers-pushing-books-up-the-charts">have said</a>, BookTok favours “convincing you to read books based on their aesthetics”.</p>
<p>This might appear a shallow way to read but it is clearly very compelling, especially for a generation for whom countercultures have given way to microtrends and niche aesthetic identities. Young people are no longer punks, hippies or goths, but instead dress with a “<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/what-exactly-is-cottagecore">cottagecore</a>” or “<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-reading-dark-academia-novels-can-help-new-students-feel-more-at-home-at-university-213276">dark academia</a>” aesthetic.</p>
<p>Identity and aesthetics are potent tools that BookTok utilises to drive views, enthusiasm and sales – even if the latter isn’t the creators’ explicit aim. BookTok encourages people to <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/booktok-tiktok-books-community">identify as “readers”</a> rather than simply to read – indeed, to identify as specific kinds of reader such as “romance readers” or “fantasy readers”. </p>
<p>The constant supply of new content, book releases and ways to show yourself to be a reader – all displayed in visually compelling snippets – means that BookTok’s impact on what young people are reading is uniquely powerful.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Wall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Online reading communities have been around for a while but none of them have captured the attention of readers, publishers and retailers quite like BookTok.Natalie Wall, PhD in English Literature, University of LiverpoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2120012023-09-19T05:56:49Z2023-09-19T05:56:49ZVirtual influencers: meet the AI-generated figures posing as your new online friends – as they try to sell you stuff<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549012/original/file-20230919-17-htk4s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C3%2C2203%2C1191&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Instagram / @lilmiquela/ @shudu.gram</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The future of influence is here: a digital avatar that captivates millions of adoring fans while offering unparalleled customisation and round-the-clock availability. </p>
<p>Virtual influencers are transforming the way content is created, consumed and marketed online. They represent an electrifying dance between cutting-edge technology and our desire for connection. But, at the same time, they are yet another product being peddled by marketers that want our money.</p>
<p>Upon close inspection, we can see the risks that emerge with these blurred realities. </p>
<h2>What are virtual influencers?</h2>
<p>While virtual influencers aren’t a particularly new concept – virtual Japanese popstar <a href="https://ew.com/article/1997/05/16/kyoko-date-worlds-first-virtual-pop-star/">Kyoko Date</a> has been around since 1996 – recent advances in technology have thrust them into the spotlight. </p>
<p>Also called digital influencers or AI influencers, these digital personalities have a social media presence and interact with the world from a first-person perspective. </p>
<p>They’re created by 3D artists using CGI (computer-generated imagery), motion-capture technology and AI tools. Creators can make them look and act exactly how they want, and their personas are thoughtfully developed to align with a target audience.</p>
<p>There are three main <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3492862">types of virtual influencers</a>: non-humans, animated humans and life-like CGI humans. Each one provides an innovative way to connect with audiences. </p>
<h2>Why do virtual influencers exist?</h2>
<p>Advancements in AI, the rise of social media and visions of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-metaverse-a-high-tech-plan-to-facebookify-the-world-165326">the metaverse</a> (in which the real and virtual worlds are blended into a massive immersive digital experience) are synergistically fuelling the growth of virtual influencers.</p>
<p>Their popularity has prompted marketing agencies to embrace them as a cost-effective promotional strategy. </p>
<p>While real influencers with millions of followers may demand <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/11/28/18116875/influencer-marketing-social-media-engagement-instagram-youtube">hundreds of thousands of dollars</a> per post, one <a href="https://www.onbuy.com/gb/blog/the-highest-earning-robot-influencers-on-instagram%7Ea243/">2020 estimate</a> suggested virtual influencer Lil Miquela charged a more reasonable £6,550 (currently about A$12,600). </p>
<p>Virtual influencers have clear benefits when it comes to online engagement and marketing. They don’t age, they’re free from (real) scandals and they can be programmed to speak any language. It’s no surprise a number of companies and celebrities have caught onto the trend.</p>
<p>In 2019, supermodel Bella Hadid posed with Lil Miquela in ads for Calvin Klein in what one columnist dubbed a “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/21/bella-hadid-lil-miquela-terrifying-glimpse-calvin-klein">terrifying glimpse of the future</a>”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxhji4UHnmr/?hl=en","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Since then, virtual influencers have become even more popular.
In 2021, Prada <a href="https://www.virtualhumans.org/article/prada-creates-first-virtual-muse-candy">introduced</a> a CGI ambassador for its perfume Candy. More recently, Lil Miquela has popped up in a number of high-profile brand campaigns and celebrity interviews. Even rapper Timbaland <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/29/timbaland-lil-miquela-ai-music">has said</a> he is considering a collaboration.</p>
<h2>The transparency issue</h2>
<p>Virtual influencers have a unique cultural dimension. They exist in a murky space between our world and the virtual which we’ve never quite explored. How might they impact us?</p>
<p>One major concern is transparency. Many virtual influencers already present as human-like, and it may become increasingly difficult to distinguish between them and real people. This is particularly problematic in an advertising context. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9-KhO0EqMg0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Virtual influencers often feature alongside real celebrities.</span></figcaption>
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<p>As the market for virtual influencers grows, we’ll need clear guidelines on how this content is used and disclosed. </p>
<p>India has taken the lead on this. In January, its Department of Consumer Affairs <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/20/india-social-media-influencers-guidelines/">made it mandatory</a> for social media influencers, including virtual influencers, to disclose promotional content in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.</p>
<p>Similarly, TikTok has updated its <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/overview/?cgversion=2023">community guidelines</a> to say:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Synthetic or manipulated media that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed. This can be done through the use of a sticker or caption, such as ‘synthetic’, ‘fake’, ‘not real’, or ‘altered’.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A Messi way to make money</h2>
<p>The emergence of virtual replicas of real people (including deepfakes) has led to new discussions about how a person’s likeness may be used, with or without their consent. </p>
<p>On one hand, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/07/22/the-best-and-scariest-examples-of-ai-enabled-deepfakes/?sh=467d61422eaf">celebrity deepfake porn</a> is on the rise. On the other, celebrities are including “simulation rights” in their contracts so their likeness may be used in the future. Take global football star Lionel Messi, who allowed PepsiCo to use a digital version of him to promote <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/celebrities-like-messi-are-all-for-ai-deepfakes-but-why-are-they-signing-their-image-rights-away-12884992.html">Lay’s potato chips</a>.</p>
<p>While this might introduce opportunities for talent expansion, it also raises exploitation risks. People may unwittingly or desperately sell off their digital likeness without consent or adequate compensation.</p>
<h2>Will the virtual replace the human?</h2>
<p>For now, the relationship between virtual and human influencers seems more poised for coexistence than a total replacement. For now, virtual influencers can’t connect with people the way a real person can (although it’s hard to say how this might change in the future).</p>
<p>As for human content creators, virtual influencers are both inspiration and competition. They’re transforming what it means to be creative and influential online. Whether they like it or not, human creators will need to work with them – or at least alongside them – in whatever ways they can.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CkJWCxeSsuy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
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<p><em>The Conversation is commissioning articles by academics across the world who are researching how society is being shaped by our digital interactions with each other. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/social-media-and-society-125586">Read more here</a></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212001/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mai Nguyen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Virtual influencers have relationships, explore the world and take risks. The web is their playground – but they don’t exist.Mai Nguyen, Lecturer in Marketing, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033882023-09-04T15:26:09Z2023-09-04T15:26:09ZBrand-backed influencer campaigns can be hard to spot – how to tell if a company is behind a social media post<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545952/original/file-20230901-25-zovk4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C0%2C6659%2C4003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cheerful-caucasian-millennial-woman-fitness-coach-2045181803">Prostock-studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nearly three-quarters of Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) follow at least one influencer on social media platforms and <a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/gen-z-relies-on-influencers-for-purchase-decisions-kantar-says/582890/#:%7E:text=Almost%20half%20(44%25)%20of,study%20shared%20with%20Mobile%20Marketer.">44% buy things</a> based on influencers’ recommendations.</p>
<p>This age group is estimated to comprise as much as <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/gen-z-unemployment-chart-global-comparisons/">30% of the global population</a>, so marketers sit up and take notice when influencers become popular among this age group. Having a popular influencer talk about your product on social media can make your brand go viral.</p>
<p>Companies understand this and many are prepared to rejig their marketing plans to collaborate with influencers <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2023/01/04/what-sho/?sh=13dcfe642793">to boost brand awareness and sales</a>. But it’s reasonable to be suspicious of such collaborations. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.influencerintelligence.com/blog/zM/brand-vs-influencer-the-fight-for-creative-control">research shows</a> 45% of marketers want to control the content and aesthetics of this type of influencer post. More specifically, 39% of US and UK and 55% of German marketers want complete control over the creative content of the influencers they work with, just like with other types of ad.</p>
<h2>An unvarnished opinion</h2>
<p>But part of the appeal of an influencer is that they are supposed to be a real-life person trying out a product and giving their natural reaction. So followers typically expect influencers to provide genuine information rather than to succumb to the control of a brand. Blatant promotion of unrealistic or unsustainable lifestyles, or the misrepresentation of facts by influencers, could result in a flood of unfollows. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21749">research shows</a> Gen Z consumers are more intolerant towards influencer campaigns perceived to be explicitly marketer-controlled versus more natural recommendations by social media personalities.</p>
<p>And people are more likely to “punish” social media influencers with larger follower numbers for sharing biased and fake campaigns, according to our research. Companies sponsoring the campaigns are not insulated from the ire of the followers either. We found that brands seen to be sponsoring these campaigns can suffer as a result. </p>
<p>Volvo’s influencer marketing campaign in collaboration with Chriselle Lim, a beauty, fashion and lifestyle influencer is <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/521880674.pdf">a good example</a> of this. <a href="https://www.affable.ai/blog/4-lessons-learnt-from-influencer-marketing-failures">Lim partnered with Volvo in 2015</a> to create a professional video highlighting that the brand is environmentally responsible and safety conscious, which was significantly different from her usual beauty content. Her followers <a href="https://brands.joinstatus.com/brand-influencer">reportedly</a> questioned the credibility of the tie-up as a result.</p>
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<img alt="Woman in yellow top and blue jeans, white shoes sitting cross-legged with phone and disapproving expression." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fed up with influencers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-body-photo-cute-young-girl-2230835971">Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of course, some posts are clearly marked as ads for a brand. Some influencers will even sign up to be an official spokesperson for a brand. But it’s not always very clear that an influencer is a front for a corporate campaign. The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) provides <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/resource/influencers-guide.html">guidance for influencers</a> but its <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/recognising-ads-social-media.html">research shows</a> social media users still struggle to tell advertising content apart from non-advertising content on social media. </p>
<p>So how can you tell a brand-backed campaign from a real-life review?</p>
<h2>1. Sponsorship Tags</h2>
<p>Campaigns that are marketer-controlled are evident by sponsored tags on some platforms. Meta has “<a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/221149188908254">sponsorship disclosures</a>” for its platforms, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Influencers must declare whether their campaigns are sponsored through a “paid partnership” or not. Meta says it will <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/1045368982822304#:%7E:text=Branded%20content%20posts%20that%20do%20not%20comply%20with%20the%20above%20policies%20are%20subject%20to%20removal%20from%20Meta.">remove any posts</a> that violate its rules on sponsored content.</p>
<p>Some influencers will also use an “in collaboration with” tag for certain campaigns to make their claims credible and authentic if a platform doesn’t have its own official tag. In a marketer-controlled campaign, the brand is often tagged multiple times, making it more of a “brand prominence” post than a typical influencer post.</p>
<p>Without an official sponsorship tag, an influencer could very successfully push biased views and surreptitiously promote brands’ messages for them.</p>
<h2>2. Different types of posts</h2>
<p>During our research, we found that brand-backed influencer posts are sometimes quite different from their regular posts. Influencers act or behave in a different way than their normal content, or the creatives of the posts – how they look and sound – are different. In such situations, a brand becomes the hero of the post rather than the influencer. </p>
<p>Taking this too far can make it very apparent to followers that the influencer is trying to push the agenda of the brand rather than giving their actual opinion on a product. Such unnatural partnerships put the authenticity and credibility of the influencer at stake. </p>
<p>Rachel Arons, a Gen Z influencer, explains <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/business/tiktok-influencers-gen-z.html">how online personalities remain authentic</a> when she says: “We go on camera and speak like we’re on Facetime with a friend, which is probably less cringe” than a edited brand campaign.</p>
<h2>Making posts more transparent</h2>
<p>To keep their followers happy and engaged, most influencers need to remain real and give their unbiased opinions. They should always make it clear when they are partnering for a campaign or risk losing followers – not to mention customers for the brand. Voluntarily disclosing partnerships could even help build brand credibility. </p>
<p>In fact, brands should partner with influencers to come up with interesting and realistic product depictions instead of just trying to push their own message. Advertising standards should also be more consistent, bringing all platforms accessed by consumers under similar rules – perhaps even those used for advertising and promotions in print and TV ads. </p>
<p>Followers trust these influencers and engage with them and this trust should be protected.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fake social media campaigns can negatively affect both influencers and brands.Abhisek Kuanr, Lecturer in Marketing, University of EssexDebasis Pradhan, Professor of Marketing, XLRI Xavier School of ManagementLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2078852023-07-17T19:51:26Z2023-07-17T19:51:26ZBarbie isn’t just a movie star now — she’s also a virtual social media influencer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536200/original/file-20230707-19-3yxn74.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C0%2C2125%2C1005&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Barbie was developed in 1959 as a doll. Since then, she has evolved through a series of physical and digital iterations.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Alan Diaz)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/barbie-isnt-just-a-movie-star-now-shes-also-a-virtual-social-media-influencer" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/style/story/barbiecore-summers-brightest-fashion-trends-86599147">explosive public response</a> to the upcoming <em>Barbie</em> movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling demonstrates the sheer power of <a href="https://doi.org/10.2478/joim-2020-0039">nostalgic marketing for contemporary consumers</a>. </p>
<p>The Barbie movie made headlines last summer over its hefty <a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Barbie-(2023)#tab=summary">US$100 million budget</a>. Part of this budget went into its decadent set, which reportedly contributed to a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/barbie-pink-paint-scli-intl/index.html">global shortage of pink paint</a>, as well as a massive marketing push that has seen partnerships with <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/barbies-malibu-dreamhouse-is-back-on-airbnb-but-this-time-kens-hosting/">Airbnb</a>, <a href="https://gamerant.com/xbox-barbie-console-crossover-collab/">Xbox</a>, <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/forever21-barbie-fashion-collab">Forever 21</a> and a multitude of other brands in numerous sectors. </p>
<p>Branded characters and mascots like Barbie are tied to powerful childhood memories for many. Yet in the age of the metaverse these characters aren’t remaining dolls or television characters. They’re also becoming social media influencers.</p>
<h2>Barbie does it for the ‘gram</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.history.com/news/barbie-through-the-ages">Barbie was developed by Mattel in 1959</a> in the form we know her best — a physical doll. Since then, there have been a series of Barbie’s never-ending iterations, including in digital form. </p>
<p>Barbie’s virtual presence first began on PC games <a href="https://barbiegirlsblog.wixsite.com/blog/members">in the early 2000s</a>. She now exists as a virtual persona on commonly used social media platforms. There, she interacts in real-time with followers through posts and comments. </p>
<p>Most notably, an animated version of Barbie began <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-h5j5Y27-U&list=PL5BsRl9zFaeSKIL4XD-pdGHGbJRvkfe8S">vlogging through YouTube</a> in 2015, sharing advice about life and introducing subscribers to her closet. She also takes part in the latest trends on TikTok.</p>
<iframe src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7252418760290651438?lang=en-US" style="border:0;width:100%;min-height:825px;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Barbie currently has 11.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 2.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million on TikTok. This ranks Barbie among the most successful virtual influencers in the world. </p>
<h2>What are virtural influencers?</h2>
<p><a href="https://influencermatchmaker.co.uk/news/virtual-influencers-what-are-they-how-do-they-work">Virtual influencers</a> are computer-generated personalities who exist through social media profiles to generate followers. They act just like human social media influencers in many ways. For example, they endorse products through stylish lifestyle posts and dance in viral TikTok challenges.</p>
<p>Virtual influencers can make just as much money — or more — as human influencers on social media. In 2021, America’s first virtual influencer, Miquela Sousa, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.08.002">made around USD$11 million</a> through brand endorsements. </p>
<p>Lil Miquela describes herself as a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/">19-year-old Brazilian robot living in Los Angeles</a> who supports causes like climate activism and Black Lives Matter. But <a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v24i0.2807">the company behind her creation, Brud</a>, is tight-lipped on the creative and cultural labour that has gone into her identity and activities.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpaw9n5OADW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Brud generates and maintains other virtual influencers as well. In 2018, their newest launch — <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/43bp79/lil-miquela-instagram-allegedly-hacked-bermuda">Bermuda</a>, a virtual influencer presenting as a young white female Trump supporter — <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429322501-20/virtual-influencers-scott-guthrie">grew upwards of 50K followers when she “hacked” into Lil Miquela’s Instagram account</a> and proliferated her own posts to the influencer’s audience. </p>
<p>The timing of this stunt was notable, as it successfully demonstrated Brud’s viral buzz-building capacities while <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/23/the-makers-of-the-virtual-influencer-lil-miquela-snag-real-money-from-silicon-valley/">it was working to secure funding from investors</a>.</p>
<p>Research finds that these virtual characters receive <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.08.002">almost three times more engagement than human influencers</a> — in the form of likes, comments, shares and follows that a profile may generate through posts and videos. </p>
<p>They also have the potential to generate lucrative curiosity in pop culture and news media. In 2019, KFC redesigned Colonel Sanders as a “hot” 2.0 version of himself, posting on Instagram as a virtual influencer. <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-14961-0_16">Engagement rose exponentially</a>.</p>
<p>In these ways, virtual influencers represent distinct storylines and personalities which imitate racial identities, genders, sexualities and political inclinations. Their digital activities can — and do — generate tangible income and marketing benefits for their creators without the involvement of human influencers. </p>
<h2>When brands turn into fictional influencers</h2>
<p>While original characters like Lil Miquela and Bermuda are used to build their own following and, in some cases, infamy, characters like Barbie and Colonel Sanders represent a unique subset of virtual influencers. </p>
<p>As brand mascots-turned-influencers, they have a decades-long start on representing themselves and relating to the public. Moreover, they represent a company’s messaging in the form of familiar figures.</p>
<p>Large conglomerates have a vested interest in turning public opinion to profit-driven objectives. As such, brand mascot-influencers take on new and highly potent forms of power to share specific messages in different ways, sometimes to entirely new generations of consumers. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BwCmvthAMy8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/17/superchats-new-ai-chatbot-lets-you-message-historical-and-fictional-characters-via-chatgpt/">Virtual characters are now paired with chatbot technology</a> to allow more conversational and human-like dialogue. When profit and public good come head-to-head, disinformation and privacy concerns can be <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/snapchat-my-ai-daughter-best-friend-worried-1.6876350">potential consequences</a> of such personalized storytelling.</p>
<p>In South Korea, users of the visual chatbot Iruda found that their intimate statements and details were illegally saved to the chatbot’s database and recycled for other conversations, <a href="https://fpf.org/blog/south-korea-the-first-case-where-the-personal-information-protection-act-was-applied-to-an-ai-system/">resulting in numerous privacy breaches</a>. </p>
<p>Iruda, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/time-to-properly-socialise-hate-speech-ai-chatbot-pulled-from-facebook">a volatile large language model AI</a>, was characterized as a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.01504">harmless and attractive young woman in her 20s</a> who is friendly and always open for a chat.</p>
<p>Mattel allows users aged six and older to converse with Barbie through <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Barbie-You-Can-Be-Anything/dp/B081DD8P2W">Amazon’s Alexa</a>. Young users on social media apps like TikTok are also encouraged to engage with Barbie through likes and comments. A 2020 study estimated that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/technology/tiktok-underage-users-ftc.html">30 per cent of users in the United States were younger than 14</a>. Algorithmic technologies are being marketed as friendly, familiar characters who have already established trust with young consumers. </p>
<p>Barbie exemplifies a growing trend of companies personifying their brand mascots as virtual influencers on social media platforms. In this form, she possesses a unique power to influence opinions, emotions and buying trends for corporate profit. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, there are currently no regulations which demand transparency from those who communicate on behalf of virtual influencers and guardrails in case of harmful or incorrect dialogue.</p>
<p>In January, Meta <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/synthetic-media-signals-a-new-chapter-for-influencer-marketing">revealed plans</a> to construct the first-ever ethics guideline for virtual influencers. Yet <a href="https://theconversation.com/virtual-influencers-are-here-but-should-meta-really-be-setting-the-ethical-ground-rules-175524">as internet researchers Tama Leaver and Rachel Berryman note</a>, the scope of this guideline is very limited. </p>
<p>To account for the growing activities of virtual influencers today, greater awareness and consideration of policies which govern virtual influencer creation and activity production — particularly for those with deep storylines from the analog age — are essential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207885/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jul Parke receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral) and the Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research.</span></em></p>Barbie is an icon of nostalgia — but she’s also a forerunner of the metaverse.Jul Parke, PhD Student in Media, Technology & Culture, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2083502023-07-13T17:11:35Z2023-07-13T17:11:35ZJoys of summer reading: the books we’re devouring are likely influenced by someone we know and trust<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537310/original/file-20230713-21-6sry09.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C134%2C2991%2C1598&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People’s ways of choosing books are significantly influenced by our offline relationships and book browsing habits.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If your bag is packed for your summer holiday, does it contain books that you’ve been meaning to read for ages, or titles that you very recently bought or borrowed? </p>
<p>Perhaps you grabbed a bestselling mystery or romance in an airport bookstore, or chose an intriguing-looking celebrity memoir from a <a href="https://littlefreelibrary.org">little free library</a> in your neighbourhood. </p>
<p>Maybe you loaded up your e-reader a few weeks ago with titles that were recommended to you on the basis of your most frequently read genres, or that you saw featured in a “summer reads” list <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/24/summer-reading-50-brilliant-books-to-discover?utm_term=6497e5f9b107ea901e2df2b89e14c811&utm_campaign=Bookmarks&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bookmarks_email">in a newspaper</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/books/40-canadian-books-to-read-this-summer-1.6888528">website</a> or <a href="https://lithub.com/50-of-the-greatest-summer-novels-of-all-time/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Weekly:%20June%2020-23%2C%202023&utm_term=lithub_weekly_master_list">book blog</a>. </p>
<p>If you’re a reader, at least one of these scenarios will be familiar to you. But the chances are that your summer reading choices have been influenced by someone you know and trust, whether that person is an influencer on Bookstagram, a colleague or your best friend. </p>
<p>We may have online access to a recommendation culture that supplies us with reviews, star ratings and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108933377">book promotion buzz</a>, but how we choose books is significantly influenced by our offline relationships and book-browsing habits. </p>
<p>Even for those of us who regularly use social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Goodreads or TikTok to find out what other readers recommend, suggestions offered by friends, family members or colleagues remain the main way of picking our next book to read, according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108891042">our recent research</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1678449000066809857"}"></div></p>
<h2>Longer hours of daylight … to read</h2>
<p>For many Canadians who enjoy reading books for pleasure, the summer season brings with it some extra reading time. Longer hours of daylight and, if we are lucky, a summer vacation allows us to tackle the TBR (to be read) pile, or to reach for a lighter “beach read.” </p>
<p>As a practice, <a href="https://www.umasspress.com/9781625343833/books-for-idle-hours/">summer reading</a> in North America has a history stretching back into the 19th century, when an increase in literacy, the mass production of more affordable books, the provision of electricity to many towns and the proliferation of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/libraries#:%7E:text=The%20earliest%20libraries%20in%20Canada,belonging%20to%20immigrants%20from%20Europe">public libraries</a> all combined to create the conditions for leisure reading for those with access to these resources. </p>
<p>Fast forward about 150 years and we find ourselves in a <a href="https://publishing.monash.edu/product/post-digital-book-cultures/">post-digital age</a>: as noted by scholars like Alexandra Dane and Millicent Weber, digital technologies and platforms have changed and complicated how books are produced, and how they circulate and are consumed.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v9Nx9lgLNQU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video from BookNet Canada on what makes #BookTokers tick.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A trip to the library now consists of a few mouse clicks <a href="https://www.booknetcanada.ca/press-room/2023/5/30/comics-and-graphic-novels-rise-in-popularity-for-canadians-in-2022">to borrow an audiobook or comic</a>, while a browse through a bricks-and-mortar bookstore may include skimming through paperbacks on the <a href="https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/9/29/the-real-impact-of-booktok-on-book-sales">“BookTok Books”</a> display table that curates notable books promoted by TikTok influencers. </p>
<h2>Opinions on ‘bestsellers’</h2>
<p>Our research involved an online questionnaire with more than 3,000 readers, interviews with social media influencers and a two-month asynchronous conversation with international Gen Z readers in a private Instagram chat space.</p>
<p>The readers we surveyed frequently combine traditional methods of book selection such as consulting reviews in newspapers, and browsing in libraries and bookstores, with the use of online recommendation sources. </p>
<p>We learned the label of <a href="https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/11/12/what-makes-a-book-a-bestseller">“bestseller”</a> is a further resource for choosing books. </p>
<p>This is the case regardless of whether “bestseller” is signalled by a sticker on a book’s cover, by a publisher’s advertisement or by a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCd3MWT6Jbc">BookTuber’s roundup of #summerreading</a>. And, it’s true even when readers view “bestseller” as a term that screams “not for me,” “trashy” or “poor-quality writing” — as many of our surveyed readers did. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man reading while lying on bench." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537330/original/file-20230713-27-jcarbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do bestsellers draw you in or turn you off? A man reads on a bench in Madrid, Spain, in April 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Paul White)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Trusted influencers</h2>
<p>But for every reader who dismissed bestsellers, there was a reader for whom the word bestseller was an invitation to research that title further. Add in a recommendation from a friend or a trusted <a href="https://www.makerandmoxie.com/blog/ariel-bissett">online influencer like</a> Canadian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ArielBissett">Ariel Bissett</a>, and a reader is highly likely to at least try out the book.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/">Gen Z readers</a> are especially likely to use a range of sources and media when choosing a book, including finding their way to the next read via a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108589604">film adaptation, TV show or videogame tie-in</a>. </p>
<p>Among the people we surveyed who responded to our survey question about the various — and combined — ways that they choose books, “favourite author” (73 per cent) and “friend’s recommendations” (72 per cent) were the top two means of selecting a book. </p>
<p>“Prize winners” and “family member’s recommendations” were also significant, with 40 per cent of respondents indicating both of these as their go-to methods. Thirty-five per cent of readers identified “work colleague’s recommendations” as trustworthy.</p>
<h2>Young adult readers</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A person seen reading in a bookstore." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=929&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537332/original/file-20230713-21-wme9t1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1167&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young adults said making ethical choices about reading was based not only on who or what is represented, but also about where and how to buy or borrow books.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another aspect of <a href="https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/5/30/podcast-reading-bestsellers">our research</a> highlighted how readers engage with reading recommendation cultures online and offline. This research involved a two-month conversation with an international group of young adults from 13 countries living on five continents. </p>
<p>These readers look for books that reflect their concerns about climate change, mental health issues and the experiences of their own communities, especially if their communities are racialized and/or discriminated against in terms of gender, language and abilities. </p>
<p>For this generation of readers, making ethical choices not only based on who or what is represented within the pages of books, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221099615">but also about where and how to buy or borrow books, are important</a>.</p>
<h2>A book to engage us</h2>
<p>Summer in Canada affords readers the opportunity to pick a new book to read. Some will be guided by their favourite authors or genres. Others will make choices inspired by their ethics or political commitments. As readers, we all want to invest our time in a book that will engage us, whether for entertainment or education. </p>
<p>If we’ve made a successful selection, we are very likely to tell friends about it, or to go online and share our reading experience with other readers through social media posts <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bookreviewers/">or Reddit reviews</a>.</p>
<p>In these post-digital times, we are perhaps more likely to judge a book by its readers than by its cover.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208350/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even for people who regularly look to social media platforms for book recommendations, recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues are a main way of choosing what to read.Danielle Fuller, Professor, Department of English and Film Studies, University of AlbertaDeNel Rehberg Sedo, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2053482023-07-10T20:22:24Z2023-07-10T20:22:24ZAre you an observer, promoter, connector or influencer? 4 ways to harness social media for innovation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536105/original/file-20230706-25-qms22u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C186%2C4810%2C3176&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In a business context, 'open innovation' means going beyond a company's internal knowledge and capabilities. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Cottonbro Studio)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Are you eager to steer your career, team or organization toward uncharted territory? Or do you aspire to solve complex societal problems through innovation? It turns out that the most successful innovators <a href="https://hbr.org/2000/05/building-an-innovation-factory-2">aren’t solitary geniuses</a>. </p>
<p>Instead, they excel by “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198785972.001.0001">spanning boundaries</a>” — moving beyond a given particular niche to access different forms of knowledge, communities, interest groups or disciplines.</p>
<p>Successful innovators also<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2016.1240068"> maintain an “open” mindset</a>, connecting with diverse sources of knowledge beyond their immediate networks. Openness, in the context of <a href="https://store.hbr.org/product/open-innovation-the-new-imperative-for-creating-and-profiting-from-technology/8377">innovation</a>, entails relying not just on internal knowledge and capabilities, but also incorporating external knowledge and sharing internal knowledge with the outside world. </p>
<p>Innovators and businesses can use social media in different ways to drive openness, and ultimately foster innovation.</p>
<h2>Success due to openness</h2>
<p>Numerous ground-breaking innovations owe their success to adapting ideas based on different contexts. Consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the <a href="https://corporate.ford.com/articles/history/moving-assembly-line.html">assembly line technology</a> for making cars, which Henry Ford observed and adapted from visiting meat packing facilities;</p></li>
<li><p>the <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mclaren-technology-innovation">operational innovations</a> in pharmaceutical facilities that are learned from Formula One race car teams;</p></li>
<li><p>the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/may/24/interview-james-dyson-vacuum-cleaner">Dyson bagless vacuum</a> that was inspired by the cyclone in a sawmill.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two men with hands on an old model of a car from the 1890s." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536107/original/file-20230706-15-b3kcp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Henry Ford, right, stands with his first car built in 1892, seen here in 1936.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1060.0242">Research</a> demonstrates that individuals skilled in effectively connecting with diverse sources of knowledge beyond their immediate networks possess a better capacity to identify and solve problems, develop innovative solutions and thrive amidst complexity and change.</p>
<h2>Collaboration with external expertise</h2>
<p>As a business school professor studying innovation, with colleagues I have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.07.001">researched</a> social media as a technology that allows people to cross boundaries, and to enhance personal and organizational impacts.</p>
<p>Consider <a href="https://www.thisforthat.biz/p/the-deal-that-forever-changed-music">Apple’s collaboration with major music labels</a>, which culminated in the launch of the revolutionary iTunes Store, transforming music distribution and consumption.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman choosing from Swiffer products in a store aisle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536108/original/file-20230706-17-norwp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Procter & Gamble’s Swiffer duster emerged through company employees collaborating with people beyond the company.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Nati Harnik, FILE)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Similarly, consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) achieved notable success by developing a platform <a href="https://www.ideaconnection.com/interviews/00070-Connect-Develop-with-Procter-Gamble.html">for P&G employees to collaborate with individuals, companies and research institutes</a> around the world. Its successes include Swiffer dusters and Glad ForceFlex garbage bags.</p>
<p>By tapping into external expertise and ideas, P&G accelerated innovation and efficiently introduced radical new products to the market.</p>
<h2>Leveraging social media</h2>
<p>Social media platforms allow people and organizations to cross boundaries in two ways: to discover, assess and acquire new sources of knowledge, and to learn how to adapt and use the new knowledge for innovation projects.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/marcel-bogers">Marcel Bogers</a>, a professor of open and collaborative innovation, I developed a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.05.001">framework</a> comprising four social media approaches: observer, connector, promoter and influencer. </p>
<p>These approaches are ways to effectively span boundaries and engage in different levels of open innovation. They extend beyond mere marketing and empower innovators and their organizations to expand their networks, foster knowledge exchange and enhance learning.</p>
<h2>Observer approach</h2>
<p>The observer approach represents the most passive and limited form of openness. It involves using social media to monitor trends and events, ensuring comprehensive information coverage and up-to-date knowledge. </p>
<p>While this approach primarily focuses on framing and investigating innovation possibilities, it serves as a stepping stone toward other approaches. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alapshah/2018/09/12/a-social-media-and-sentiment-analysis-of-nike-what-does-it-mean-for-future-purchase-intent/">Nike used social media</a> to observe public opinion and behaviour toward NFL player Colin Kaepernick who knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-53098516">to protest racial injustice</a> in the United States. </p>
<p>The information from this observation then guided Nike’s related branding and product development activities <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/30/business/nike-colin-kaepernick-nfl-just-do-it/index.html#">related to its endorsement of Kaepernick</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A face on a large billboard and the Nike swoosh logo framed by palm trees." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536110/original/file-20230706-7970-lp6k41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Colin Kaepernick’s face in a Nike ad in 2018, in San Francisco.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Connector approach</h2>
<p>Building upon the observer approach, the connector approach is less passive and more open. It goes beyond monitoring and involves actively finding, connecting with and conversing with stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and potential partners. </p>
<p>This engagement is vital for framing, developing and promoting activities. Using online platforms, NASA formulated and announced challenges for optimizing human health and performance in spaceflight. </p>
<p>These challenges connected NASA scientists to a diverse array of expertise, both amateur and professional, resulting in innovations such as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/data-driven-forecasting-of-solar-events-challenge-0/">better forecasting of solar storms</a>.</p>
<h2>Promoter approach</h2>
<p>The promoter approach is more active, using social media to gain visibility and recognition for innovators and their work. It revolves around broadcasting rather than listening, effectively conveying innovation progress and standing. </p>
<p>However, it must be executed appropriately to avoid appearing as innovation narcissism. For instance, <a href="https://www.tesla.com/en_ca/elon-musk">Tesla CEO Elon Musk</a>, who now <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/musk-twitter-sale-1.6632491">also owns Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/08/trump-and-elon-musk-are-dangerous-narcissists-tailored-to-2022-america">has faced criticism for using Twitter</a> to promote and help increase the value of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122112">Dogecoin</a>, the cryptocurrency Tesla accepts for its pioneering direct purchase of cars.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A main in suit seen raising his hand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536106/original/file-20230706-24-3ggm28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Elon Musk has faced criticism for his promoter approach. Musk departs from the Justice Center in Wilmington, Del., in July 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Influencer approach</h2>
<p>The influencer approach is the most active and open of the four. It involves leveraging social media to network, frame problems and opportunities, investigate, disseminate information and assess impact. </p>
<p>Influencers actively engage with those who experience and tackle societal challenges, to develop and champion innovation to address these challenges. </p>
<p>Clothing and outdoor gear company <a href="https://medium.com/@asmithherriott/patagonia-strives-and-accomplishes-to-deliver-valuable-content-on-social-media-platforms-41c8d21b5e6a">Patagonia</a>’s YouTube channel hosts a video entitled “Why Patagonia is Fighting for Public Lands.” The company influences by using social media to showcase and get feedback on its actions and product innovations.</p>
<h2>Multiple approaches over time</h2>
<p>Boundary-spanning innovators serve as knowledge brokers, adept at sourcing, evaluating and applying adaptable knowledge to society’s problems. These innovators may adopt multiple approaches concurrently or transition between them over time. </p>
<p>Each approach offers distinct benefits. While the observer and connector approaches can yield incremental benefits, for ground-breaking changes, all four approaches are necessary at different stages to discover and harness novel resources, knowledge and collaborations.</p>
<h2>Don’t neglect risks</h2>
<p>Given the power of using social media to cross boundaries and connect with new sources of knowledge, these approaches also come with risks, especially the promoter and influencer approaches. </p>
<p>Musk has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jun/01/elon-musk-insider-trading-dogecoin-lawsuit">faced legal problems</a> from promoting Dogecoin. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.08.006">Gillette shaver advertisement</a> that called out toxic masculinity resulted in highly split opinion online and little innovation value.</p>
<p>So when using social media to drive innovation, make sure you are guided by a worthy innovation mission, and don’t neglect rigor, integrity and nuance before you open up your innovation to the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205348/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian McCarthy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Innovators and businesses can use social media in different ways to drive learning across spheres and interest groups, and ultimately to foster innovation.Ian McCarthy, W.J. VanDusen Professor of Innovation & Operations Management, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2088282023-07-09T12:02:12Z2023-07-09T12:02:12ZThe deinfluencing trend reflects a growing desire for authenticity online<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535918/original/file-20230705-15-90dso1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C48%2C6487%2C4282&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Deinfluencing involves influencers discouraging their followers from buying overpriced or otherwise ineffective products.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A new social media trend has recently emerged in response to the materialistic nature of influencer culture: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/feb/22/the-sudden-dawn-of-the-deinfluencer-can-online-superstars-stop-us-shopping">deinfluencing</a>. This trend involves influencers discouraging their followers from buying overpriced or ineffective products.</p>
<p>Influencing is a highly profitable form of marketing, reaching a market value of <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092819/global-influencer-market-size/">US$16.4 billion in 2022</a>. But by its nature, influencing can also be disingenuous. Influencers often end up promoting products they don’t believe in, or that don’t align with their follower base.</p>
<p>The deinfluencing trend is shaking up this model. The trend has quickly gained momentum, with nearly <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/deinfluencing?lang=en">730 million views on TikTok</a> as of July 7. There are a few reasons for its growing popularity, including a desire for authenticity, social media burnout and a shift in values.</p>
<h2>Desire for authenticity</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/consumer-psychology/202305/consumers-want-brands-to-be-authentic">growing demand for authentic and unfiltered content</a> online has given rise to both <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-to-take-advantage-of-the-unexpected-rise-of/442900">micro-influencers</a> and the deinfluencing trend. </p>
<p>Micro-influencers typically have a follower base ranging between 10,000 to 100,000. They build a tight-knit community with their followers and can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.03.003">significant impact on their purchase decisions</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLcZh5-JK3I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">An NBC News report about the growing deinfluencing trend on TikTok.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In response to the desire for authenticity, deinfluencers prioritize genuine content and real engagement over the meticulously curated content and commercial partnerships that are common in <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-an-influencer/">traditional influencer culture</a>.</p>
<h2>Social media burnout</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2016.1208064">Social media burnout</a> refers to the emotional exhaustion caused by the constant pressure to maintain an idealized image on digital platforms. This issue affects both influencers and their followers. </p>
<p>The journey from being an ordinary consumer to becoming a brand influencer involves a significant shift in mindset, since influencers must maintain brand consistency to ensure a positive image. This pressure often <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/08/style/creator-burnout-social-media.html">leads to burnout over time</a>.</p>
<p>On the flip side, a large number of consumers are exposed to idealized lifestyles through influencers. This often compels individuals to attempt to imitate or adapt to these lifestyles, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100117">leading to burnout and potential mental health challenges</a> in the long run.</p>
<p>Deinfluencing addresses these challenges for both consumers and influencers by encouraging influencers to step away from the constant pressure of maintaining a perfect image and supporting better mental health.</p>
<p>For consumers, deinfluencing offers a more balanced and realistic perspective on life, resulting in individuals feeling less pressured to live up to unrealistic standards. </p>
<h2>Shift in values</h2>
<p>The evolution of societal values towards transparency, honesty and genuine connection aligns with a greater consciousness about sustainability. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-02-2022-0029">In a recent paper</a>, my colleagues and I examined over 440,000 YouTube comments from 2011 to 2021 and found an increase in conversations about sustainable fashion.</p>
<p>The deinfluencing movement is positioned at this intersection, contrasting sharply with the traditional influencer culture that often fuels rampant consumerism and wasteful habits.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Shoulders-down view of people crossing the street holding shopping bags" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535921/original/file-20230705-17540-w4i5j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Social media influencers have significant sway over consumers and the shopping choices they make.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Deinfluencers are in a unique position to foster a more sustainable approach to consumption. Rather than promoting the latest products or trends, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/11/us/deinfluencing-tiktok-trend-explained-cec/index.html">they highlight mindful consumption, sustainability</a> and the importance of making thoughtful choices. </p>
<p>This approach is a key response to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10949968231156104">overconsumption often seen in traditional influencer culture</a>, which can lead to unnecessary waste and contribute to environmental degradation over time.</p>
<h2>Is it only positive?</h2>
<p>While the deinfluencing trend may be positive, there are some side-effects that need to be examined carefully. </p>
<p>One concern is the emergence of pseudo-authenticity, where the pursuit of authenticity is exploited for commercial gain. Influencers may end up projecting an image of authenticity while still actually being motivated by financial interests.</p>
<p>Another challenge is the risk of misinformation, particularly in relation to sustainability. While many deinfluencers may advocate for sustainable practices, they may lack the expertise to provide accurate information. This could lead to them <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/shein-influencer-trip-marketing-trend-1.6890922">misleading followers who rely on them</a> for information and guidance.</p>
<p>Additionally, the emphasis on authenticity and openness could lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941221122861">oversharing</a>. Deinfluencers might feel compelled to share intimate details of their private lives in the pursuit of being real with their audience. However, this can cross boundaries of privacy, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/22526811/oversharing-social-media-protect-personal-harassment">potentially causing more harm than good</a>.</p>
<p>For the sake of mental health, it’s important for deinfluencers to strike a balance between being relatable and maintaining their own personal boundaries.</p>
<h2>What does this mean for businesses?</h2>
<p>The deinfluencing trend introduces new dynamics for businesses in the digital landscape. While it may <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/deinfluencing-tiktok-trend-1.6755278">disrupt traditional marketing approaches</a> that rely on polished images and celebrity endorsements, it also offers an opportunity to connect with customers on a more genuine level.</p>
<p>By embracing deinfluencing practices, businesses can tap into the authentic relationships influencers build with their followers, potentially boosting trust and engagement.</p>
<p>The emphasis on sustainability among deinfluencers also aligns with the growing <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/consumers-care-about-sustainability-and-back-it-up-with-their-wallets">consumer demand for responsible practices</a>, providing businesses with an avenue to showcase their commitment to these values. </p>
<p>However, businesses must ensure their collaborations genuinely reflect their values to avoid the trap of pseudo-authenticity, which could harm their reputation and result in accusations of <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/what-is-greenwashing-how-to-spot">greenwashing</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Omar H. Fares does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Deinfluencers prioritize genuine content and real engagement over the meticulously curated content and commercial partnerships that are common in traditional influencer culture.Omar H. Fares, Lecturer in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2050962023-05-30T12:23:06Z2023-05-30T12:23:06ZAfter the ALS ice bucket challenge and the rise of MrBeast, stunt philanthropy might be here to stay<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527859/original/file-20230523-15345-lbuwlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=59%2C623%2C4873%2C2670&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, leaned into charity to get a massive following.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/youtube-personality-jimmy-donaldson-better-known-as-mrbeast-news-photo/1247748364?adppopup=true">Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Stunt philanthropy is what happens when influencers, other celebrities and people who aren’t famous at all use entertaining videos to encourage support for a charitable cause. </p>
<p>When their stunts go viral, it can lead to massive public engagement that raises lots of money and draws new attention to previously less visible causes. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oF3mmcYFoYs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Donald Trump took the ALS ice bucket challenge in 2014.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why stunt philanthropy matters</h2>
<p>The biggest early success with stunt philanthropy online was the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/03/ice-bucket-challenge-5-things-you-should-know/448006001/">ALS ice bucket challenge</a>. </p>
<p>People taking the challenge uploaded short videos in which someone dropped a bucket of icy water on their head. They then posted these clips on their social media accounts, tagging others to do the same and to donate to the ALS Association. Participants ranged from high school students to <a href="https://youtu.be/XS6ysDFTbLU">Bill Gates</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/5W37Z6U16MY">Mark Zuckerberg</a>. Even <a href="https://youtu.be/oF3mmcYFoYs">Donald Trump</a> took the challenge, before his presidency. </p>
<p>The campaign raised <a href="https://www.als.org/stories-news/ice-bucket-challenge-dramatically-accelerated-fight-against-als">an estimated US$115 million</a> in 2014 for research tied to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a fatal neurological condition for which there is no cure. </p>
<p>More recently, stunt philanthropy has become associated with a single infuencer: Jimmy Donaldson. By late 2022, when he was 24 years old, the <a href="https://www.wnct.com/local-news/youtube-star-greenvilles-own-mrbeast-rethinks-old-notions-of-philanthropy/">entrepreneur who calls himself “MrBeast</a>” had <a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/11/mr-beast-now-most-subscribed-youtuber-ever-overtaking-pewdiepie-726321">more followers on YouTube than anyone else, ever</a>.</p>
<p>Donaldson calls himself “<a href="https://viewpoint.pointloma.edu/the-rise-of-the-social-media-influencer/">YouTube’s biggest philanthropist</a>.” He has gained <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast">more than 150 million YouTube subscribers</a> through his entertaining stunt videos, such as recreating a game show version of the <a href="https://youtu.be/0e3GPea1Tyg">popular Korean Netflix series “Squid Game</a>” and giving the winner $456,000.</p>
<p>He relies on <a href="https://observer.com/2023/02/mrbeasts-sponsors-can-reach-a-super-bowl-sized-audience-for-half-the-price-of-a-super-bowl-ad">corporate partners like Honey</a>, TikTok and Quidd to pull off the stunts that have made him a celebrity.</p>
<p>Donaldson’s stunt videos have helped him earn lots of money for himself through advertising and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/technology/mr-beast-youtube.html">sale of socks, water bottles and other merchandise</a>. He has created his own candy company, <a href="https://feastables.com/">Feastables</a>, which he celebrated with a stunt video that featured his own replica of <a href="https://youtu.be/Hwybp38GnZw">Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory</a>.</p>
<p>He now runs a <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/mrbeast-breaks-another-record-with-his-mrbeast-burger-restaurant-opening-1922897/">global burger chain that partners with local restaurants</a> and reportedly made <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/14/the-highest-paid-youtube-stars-mrbeast-jake-paul-and-markiplier-score-massive-paydays/?sh=46f766d11aa7">$54 million in 2021</a> alone.</p>
<p>Building on his formula for creating viral content, Donaldson also creates stunt videos that raise awareness and money and amass needed goods for Ukrainian refugees, African orphans and a <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/much-does-mrbeast-much-does-050300091.html">wide array of other causes</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to partnering with companies, Donaldson also teams up with nonprofits for his philanthropy-themed stunts. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">In early 2023, Donaldson collaborated with SEE International to facilitate 1,000 cataract surgeries.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Beast Philanthropy</h2>
<p>In May 2023, Donaldson worked with <a href="https://youtu.be/w1UzSiWUrr8">Hearing the Call</a> to provide hearing aids to 1,000 people across the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, South Africa, Malwai and Indonesia and donated $100,000 to organizations that promote education in sign language. The video his team made publicizing this campaign showcased the delighted looks on many of the faces of people getting the hearing aids.</p>
<p>Alongside posting these videos on his main YouTube channel, Donaldson has created a separate <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BeastPhilanthropy">Beast Philanthropy</a> channel. Among the videos posted is one that celebrates <a href="https://youtu.be/STiUV6XXG4E">giving supplies to underfunded schools</a>, sponsored by Sun-Maid, a raisin producer, and another that showed <a href="https://youtu.be/BNO6DjteidM">homes being rebuilt in Kentucky following tornado devastation</a>, sponsored by Nord VPN, a tech company.</p>
<p>Some people have questioned <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/mrbeast-is-only-a-good-person-for-views/">Donaldson’s motives for his eye-catching charitable acts</a>, while others have raised ethical concerns about the way he <a href="https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2023/2/2/23582916/mrbeast-backlash-1000-people-cataracts-surgery-blind-surgery">uses footage of people in need for online entertainment</a>.</p>
<p>It’s much easier for public displays of charitable giving to go viral today because of social media, but there are precedents from pre-internet days.</p>
<p>From 1966 to 2010, the entertainer <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2015/09/what_happened_to_the_jerry_lew.html">Jerry Lewis</a> raised millions of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and spread awareness about the disease with help from his famous friends during annual 24-hour telethons. </p>
<p>And Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson convened a celebrity supergroup to perform the charity relief song “<a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/we-are-the-world-79429907/416483.html">We are the World</a>” in 1985 to raise money for African famine relief – following an example set by <a href="https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/do-they-know-its-christmas-band-aid-lyrics-artists/">British musicians a year earlier</a>.</p>
<p>It’s hard to predict what the future holds for stunt philanthropy, but it seems to me that it’s probably here to stay. That is why I will continue to keep studying how <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eFzpsScAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">social media can influence charitable giving</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205096/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monica Lea does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The person with the most YouTube followers calls himself ‘YouTube’s biggest philanthropist.’Monica Lea, PhD Student in Public Administration, University of Nebraska OmahaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2046862023-05-18T12:41:39Z2023-05-18T12:41:39ZTeenage brains are drawn to popular social media challenges – here’s how parents can get their kids to think twice<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526556/original/file-20230516-34281-bribzy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C190%2C6351%2C3218&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The milk crate challenge went viral in the summer of 2021. ER doctors weren't amused. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-walks-up-a-pyramid-of-milk-crates-while-he-participates-news-photo/1234866474">Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Viral social media trends started innocently enough. </p>
<p>In the early 2010s there was <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304906004576371770200241238">planking</a>, the “<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy74kz/harlem-shake-origin-story">Harlem Shake” dance</a> and lip syncing to Carly Rae Jepsen’s summer anthem “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPIA7mpm1wU">Call Me Maybe</a>.”</p>
<p>Then came the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/03/ice-bucket-challenge-5-things-you-should-know/448006001/">ice bucket challenge</a>, which raised <a href="https://www.als.org/stories-news/ice-bucket-challenge-dramatically-accelerated-fight-against-als">an estimated US$115 million</a> for ALS research. </p>
<p>In recent years, social media challenges have grown more popular – and more dangerous, leading to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/24/milk-crate-challenge/">serious injuries</a> and even <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/laundry-cleaning/liquid-laundry-detergent-pods-pose-lethal-risk/">deaths</a>. It’s not hard to see why. The <a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2021/08/what-is-the-milk-crate-challenge-heres-what-to-know-about-the-dangerous-viral-craze.html">milk crate challenge</a> dares people to walk or run across a loosely stacked pyramid of milk crates, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/us/tide-pod-challenge.html">Tide pod challenge</a> involves eating laundry detergent pods, and the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/us/benadryl-tiktok-challenge-teen-death-wellness/index.html">Benadryl challenge</a> encourages taking six or more doses of over-the-counter allergy medication all at once.</p>
<p>As clinical psychology researchers, we study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zyCKELoAAAAJ&hl=en">why social media challenges</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=sN15ck8AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">are so appealing to teens</a> despite the dangers they pose, and steps parents can take to protect their kids. </p>
<h2>Appeal of viral stunts</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/">Almost all American teens</a> today have access to a smartphone and actively use multiple social media platforms – with YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat being <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">the most popular</a> among this age group. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the teenage years are linked to an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2007.08.002">increase in risk-taking</a>. The human brain isn’t fully developed until <a href="https://karger.com/dne/article/36/3-4/147/107931/The-Developmental-Mismatch-in-Structural-Brain">a person reaches their mid-20s</a>, and the parts of the brain that relate to reward and doing what feels good develop more quickly than areas linked to decision-making. As a result, teens are more likely to act impulsively and risk physical injury to gain popularity. </p>
<p>Teens are also particularly vulnerable to social pressure.</p>
<p>A 2016 study found that teens were <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1177/0956797616645673">more likely to “like” a photo</a> – even when it showed drug or alcohol use – if the photo had more “likes” from peers. The same study also showed that activity increased in the reward centers of teenage brains when viewing posts with more “likes.” Simply put, teens pay closer attention to social media content with a high number of “likes” and views. </p>
<p>In best-case scenarios, this vulnerability to social pressure may result in, say, buying a certain brand of sneakers. Yet in worst-case scenarios, this can lead teens to do dangerous stunts to impress or amuse their friends.</p>
<p>In our work, we found that celebrities, musicians, athletes and influencers can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13620">increase risky teen behaviors</a>, such as alcohol and drug use, especially because they earn many “likes” and attract huge followings on social media. </p>
<p>Teens today may find it more difficult to resist social pressure. They not only have unlimited access to their peers and other influencers, but online social networks are also much larger, with teens following hundreds – sometimes thousands – of online users. </p>
<h2>What parents can do</h2>
<p>Below are five ways <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-parent-tips">parents can help their teen</a> resist social pressure and avoid risks linked to social media trends.</p>
<p><strong>1. Listen to your teen</strong></p>
<p>Parents can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0054">learn more about social media</a> by asking their teen open-ended questions about their experiences, such as, “Has anything you’ve seen on Instagram upset you lately?”</p>
<p>Share your own concerns about social media while listening to your teen’s thoughts and perspectives. This kind of open communication can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mph.2019.200160">improve kids’ mental health and social skills</a>. </p>
<p>Research also shows that watching media content with your teens – and discussing issues that come up during and after media use – helps with children’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809481-5.00003-1">brain development</a> and critical thinking. It can also help to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01593-6">resolve questions or clear up misinformation</a>.</p>
<p><strong>2. Talk about what is rewarding</strong></p>
<p>Teens don’t always know why they engage in certain behaviors or are curious about dangerous activities. <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-literacy-teens">Having a conversation</a> with them about what feels good about “likes” and comments online could help them identify similar rewarding experiences offline – such as joining a school sports team or extracurricular club. Research shows that <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/6/e20190997/37135/Organized-Sports-for-Children-Preadolescents-and">sports participation</a> is a helpful way to build one’s social identity, self-esteem and meaningful connections with others.</p>
<p><strong>3. Talk about what is risky</strong></p>
<p>Social media posts often <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3444961">glamorize risky behaviors</a>. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.10.004">alcohol use posts</a> focus on the fun aspects and avoid depictions of blackouts or injury. Similarly, teens see “likes” and views from social media challenges, but not hospitalizations and deaths.</p>
<p>Parents can talk to teens about this gap. Since teens are often more knowledgeable about the latest social media challenges, ask them about the topic and help them think through possible risks. </p>
<p><strong>4. Get informed</strong></p>
<p>One of the best ways to connect with teens is to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv12fw92r">learn about topics that interest them</a>. If they enjoy Instagram, consider creating your own account and ask them to show you the ropes on the platform, as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2019.1675851">teaching others can be rewarding</a> for teens. Also, take the time to explore on your own and keep up to date on social media features, challenges and risky trends. </p>
<p><strong>5. Make a plan</strong></p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx">family media plan</a> can help you and your teen agree on screen-free times, media curfews and ways to choose good media habits. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/41352/chapter/352515466">Social media can also help teens</a> form friendships, stay connected with distant friends and family members, reduce stress and access medical providers, help lines or other tools that support physical and mental health.</p>
<p>Come up with a plan that all family members can follow to enjoy the benefits of social media. Your family can always revise the media plan as your child gets older.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204686/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elisa M Trucco receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. . </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Cristello receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.</span></em></p>Adolescent brains are especially vulnerable to risk-taking and social pressure. But there are steps parents can take to steer their teen away from dangerous social media stunts.Elisa M. Trucco, Associate Professor of Psychology, Florida International UniversityJulie Cristello, Doctoral candidate in Clinical Science, Florida International UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2030362023-04-24T19:22:58Z2023-04-24T19:22:58ZCancel culture: YouTube videos on ‘getting cancelled’ are now their own genre and have links to the past<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522406/original/file-20230421-18-3j3jq2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C178%2C4322%2C3034&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The aptly-titled video 'Canceling,' by cultural commentator and YouTuber ContraPoints, crystallized the cancellation video genre. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">(Wikipedia)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/cancel-culture--youtube-videos-on--getting-cancelled--are-now-their-own-genre-and-have-links-to-the-past" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The <a href="https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/small-business/resources/marketing-for-small-business/social-media-tools/social-media-statistics-details/">explosion of</a> user-created content on platforms like YouTube, Twitch and TikTok has unsettled traditional notions of authorship.</p>
<p>We can consider relationships between authors and audiences, and their roles in the creative process, by examining how some YouTubers have addressed critiques of their public commentary after they have been “cancelled.”</p>
<p>Cancelling is a colloquial term applied to anything from discussion about an author with a critical tone to internet pile-ons or <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-misogyny-the-new-way-andrew-tate-brought-us-the-same-old-hate-191928">campaigns to deplatform individuals</a> after that person does something their audience perceives as wrong. </p>
<p>There is <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/30/20879720/what-is-cancel-culture-explained-history-debate">much debate</a> as to whether cancelling is a real phenomenon. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, videos where YouTubers address their own cancellation, answer their audiences’ questions about their public mistake and correct misunderstandings suggest <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935338.013.002">forms of authorship that predate the modern emphasis</a> on an individual creator.</p>
<p>Jessie Krahn, one of the authors of this story, has studied these “cancellation videos” as a unique sub-genre of YouTube apology videos.</p>
<h2>Direct response to audience desire</h2>
<p>In a 2019 article in <em>Vice</em>, Bettina Makalintal wrote that YouTubers’
“<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywykzb/how-youtubers-james-charles-jaclyn-hill-pewdiepie-turned-the-apology-video-into-a-genre">apologies — like lipsticks — have become just another product” and their own genre</a>. YouTube apology videos feature a YouTuber unequivocally taking responsibility for one accusation. </p>
<p>In YouTube cancellation videos, by contrast, creators take responsibility for some of the accusations, question the validity of others and address the dynamics of social media cancellation more broadly in relation to their own situation. These videos are created in direct response to audience desire. </p>
<p>YouTubers frame these videos as opportunities to be <a href="https://www.sociomix.com/diaries/entertainment/the-problems-with-cancel-culture-and-popular-youtubers/1627615253">frank and open</a> with their viewers, acknowledging their audiences’ criticisms as worthy of engagement. However, they also critique the audiences’ critiques. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uFvtCUzfyL4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">YouTube video ‘No More Lies’ from James Charles has had more than 50 million views.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Accepting, rejecting some criticisms</h2>
<p>One of the most famous examples of a cancellation video is <a href="https://medium.com/bolstered/youtube-beauty-gurus-an-explainer-232177009b7c">YouTube beauty guru</a> James Charles’s “<a href="https://youtu.be/uFvtCUzfyL4">No More Lies</a>,” when Charles surveys <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a27484210/james-charles-tati-westbrook-youtube-drama-timeline/">criticisms levied against him</a>. The video, which has had more than 50 million views since it was posted in 2019, was in response to a messy public fallout that began with allegations that he was inconsiderate to a friend and mentor. </p>
<p>In Charles’s cancellation video, he stands by everything he said in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Ukl4l_LM8">earlier apology video</a>, but the cancellation video also refutes public criticisms of his character. Commentators note some criticism directed at Charles <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/44555/1/james-charles-tati-westbrook-drama-homophobia">was homophobic</a>.</p>
<p>The aptly titled 2020 video “<a href="https://youtu.be/OjMPJVmXxV8">Canceling</a>,” by cultural commentator and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/01/contrapoints-political-philosophy-natalie-wynn-youtube/579532/">YouTuber ContraPoints</a>, crystallized the cancellation video genre. </p>
<p>In the video, Natalie Wynn, the personality behind ContraPoints, addresses the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-contrapoints-attacked-after-including-controversial-buck-angel-video-1466757">controversy that erupted</a> after she included content that some viewers believed endorsed the view that transgender identity is only authentic if a person transitions through medical intervention. </p>
<p>Wynn examines a number of her controversial tweets. She dismisses many of the criticisms as taking her tweets out of context and suggests that some of the criticisms were transphobic. However, she also accepts when something she wrote was open to being misconstrued, admitting: “We’ll call this a bad tweet.”</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OjMPJVmXxV8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video from Contrapoints on ‘Canceling.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Moral discussions</h2>
<p>Cancellation videos reveal how social media authors create their content in <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40550803">direct response</a> to audience commentary and expectation. For audience members, cancelling is a way to negotiate their love for authors with their own values. </p>
<p>When an author is “cancelled,” audiences try to understand how they can continue engaging with the author despite their <a href="https://mashable.com/article/james-charles-tati-westbrook-bye-sisters-youtube-drama">newfound knowledge</a> of the author’s perceived flaws.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/joe-rogan-is-at-it-again-cancel-culture-can-be-harsh-but-it-can-also-help-reduce-harm-176776">Joe Rogan is at it again: Cancel culture can be harsh, but it can also help reduce harm</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When, in response, YouTubers reach out to their viewers through the format their audiences came to know them in, it is a way to be publicly forthcoming and engage viewers in moral discussions. Such videos also reinscribe the boundaries that restrict audiences to only knowing authors through their video content.</p>
<p>Cancellation videos are examples of the ways internet video is not merely driven by the identities of popular personalities on social media, but also by the audience’s responses to those personalities. </p>
<p>Dialogues between authors and audiences shape future content created by the YouTubers. </p>
<h2>Pre-modern authorship</h2>
<p>The mode of authorship seen in YouTube cancellation videos combines the intense interest in the <a href="https://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/romtextv2/files/2013/02/cc08_n01.pdf">author as a singular creator</a> that has long dominated popular conceptions of authorship with an older model of authorship that was popular in 17th-century England.</p>
<p>Before the <a href="https://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/content/conjectures-original-composition-1759">belief in the original genius of the author</a> took root in Britain during the late 18th century, many anonymous pamphlets and books circulated that were crafted directly around readers’ desires and reading habits.</p>
<p>These included <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/secret-history-in-literature-16601820/1B0294ACC0E70BB5D3A56D15F2FD94CC">popular genres like the secret history, which purported to expose state secrets and political sexual intrigues, and “printed hoaxes” (both generating hoaxes and debunking them)</a>. </p>
<p>Such texts directly responded to their <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Reading-Fictions-1660-1740-Deception-in-English-Literary-and-Political/Loveman/p/book/9781138376229">readers’ desire for literature that invited public discussion and was socially oriented</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Patrons seen in a coffee house with long bench tables." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522172/original/file-20230420-22-tec37q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Drawing of a London coffee house, circa 1690-1700.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Trustees of the British Museum)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>New access to information</h2>
<p>Authors wrote to engage with the political struggles of the time, and took advantage of <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171228/the-social-life-of-coffee/">the new coffeehouses</a> to circulate their ideas and boost their texts’ popularity. </p>
<p>The number of coffeehouses <a href="https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-century-literature/articles/newspapers-gossip-and-coffee-house-culture">increased exponentially</a> in late 17th-century London. They were cheap places in which to conduct business and gain access to the latest newspapers and political gossip. </p>
<p>Coffeehouses’ bench-style seating made them egalitarian spaces for discussion, thus making them an integral part of the rise of democratic ideals in British society.</p>
<p>The rise in texts dependent upon social conversation to render them popular was directly linked to new public spaces. These spaces expanded access to news and knowledge for men <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09574049108578077">(and some women)</a> at all levels of British society. </p>
<h2>New public spaces, new texts</h2>
<p>Seventeenth-century readers had a new, more accessible forum for media consumption, and <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/jearlmodcultstud.15.2.58?mag=the-woman-famous-for-not-sleeping-with-a-king">this influenced the texts being produced by authors at the time</a>. The same can be said for social media influencers today. </p>
<p>Examining social media creation within the complicated history of authorship spotlights how new ways of consuming media shift the relationship between author and audience. </p>
<p>It also suggests how authorial agency is never only about one person’s creative drive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin Keating has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessie Krahn has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities. </span></em></p>What do YouTuber influencer videos about being ‘cancelled’ share with 17th-century texts? Both were crafted directly in response to audiences in new social spaces.Erin Keating, Associate Professor, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, University of ManitobaJessie Krahn, Master's student, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033062023-04-16T12:19:04Z2023-04-16T12:19:04ZWant to be a social media influencer? You might want to think again<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520680/original/file-20230413-28-fxw1gb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C36%2C8179%2C5420&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The world of influencing is not always as honest and exciting as it's cracked up to be.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/want-to-be-a-social-media-influencer-you-might-want-to-think-again" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Canadians <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317217/time-spent-on-social-media-in-canada/">spend more than two hours per day</a> on social media platforms. Social media is becoming more prevalent every day, and influencers and those that want to be influencers are too. </p>
<p>Influencing is an all-new career option that, until recently, didn’t exist. A <a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/9-of-the-biggest-social-media-influencers-on-instagram">social media influencer</a> is someone who has established a reputation for being knowledgeable about a specific topic or industry and has an online following that they engage with.</p>
<p>Social media influencers <a href="https://sprott.carleton.ca/2022/12/the-power-of-persuasion-the-key-to-influencer-follower-relationships/">build relationships</a> with their followers through the content they share and interactions on live streams, comments and chats. This in turn builds a greater sense of community and ultimately gives influencers more influential power. However, the world of influencing is not always as honest and exciting as it’s cracked up to be. </p>
<h2>Allure of influencing</h2>
<p>As experts in social media and health outcomes, we recently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09760911231159690">examined the aspirations, desires and rationales of becoming a social media influencer among young adults</a>. We asked 750 Canadians between 16-30 years old, who were mostly women, about their social media use and thoughts about social media influencers. </p>
<p>The results showed that 75 per cent of participants wanted to become social media influencers. The top three stated reasons for wanting to become social media influencers were for the money, being able to try new products or services and because they thought the work would be fun. </p>
<iframe src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7161549657150115078?lang=en-US" style="border:0;width:100%;min-height:800px;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Other factors, such as excessive social media use; knowing, following or trusting influencers; and being willing to accept money to market a product even if they didn’t like it, also informed aspirations to become a social media influencer.</p>
<p>Influencers often edit their content, <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2022/09/impact-of-social-media-teens-mental-health">creating a highly desirable image</a> that is not always reflective of reality. Some might <a href="https://medium.com/plus-marketing/why-do-influencers-promote-products-that-they-dont-use-887ba80c09cc">promote products</a> they may not truly believe in or like for financial gain. This suggests not all social media influencers are as trusting as users perceive them to be. </p>
<p>According to one U.S. study, one-third of young people trust <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/debgordon/2022/12/20/33-of-gen-zers-trust-tiktok-more-than-doctors-new-survey-shows/?sh=78af2b6b6c7b">health influencers</a> on TikTok more than their doctors. This is seriously concerning, as influencers do not need any academic or professional credentials, and tend to curate their online persona through opinions rather than facts. </p>
<h2>More disadvantages than benefits</h2>
<p>Many social media users feel a career as an influencer is <a href="https://apnews.com/press-release/globe-newswire/business-media-social-media-39312e45ee2a748049cbd1ec4862b6e3">more desirable than a traditional career</a>. Influencers tend to be <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09760911221113449">idolized</a>, especially by younger generations. So it’s not surprising that many of them are interested in a career in influencing. However, the disadvantages may outweigh the benefits.</p>
<p>Most participants in our study cited financial gain as the main reason for wanting to become a social media influencer, but the career might not be as lucrative as some think. It is true that top influencers can earn millions of dollars on their respective platforms, but this is the exception rather than the rule. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqeJPMUv7ZT/?hl=en","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>The average user who monetizes their content will bring in significantly less depending on the platform, number of followers, <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-much-do-influencers-make/">method of marketing</a> and the type of content they are creating. </p>
<p>While there is limited research on what types of content are easier to monetize, many top influencers belong to different genres. That suggests <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/top-influencers/">intangible factors</a>, like how authentic an influencer is perceived to be and how well they communicate and connect with their followers, are the most important keys to success. </p>
<p>Some platforms such as YouTube require <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851">meeting certain thresholds of subscribers and viewers</a> before content can be monetized, with no guarantee that the creator will ever meet that threshold, even if they post regularly.</p>
<p>On top of an unpredictable income, another disadvantage is volatile job security. Social media networking sites use <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-algorithm/">algorithms</a> to sort posts on a user’s feed to ensure that the user sees content that the algorithm deems is relevant to them at any given time. </p>
<p>As this technology advances, it is becoming more difficult than ever to predict how algorithms popularize content. Even well-established content creators <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/content-creators-say-they-struggle-to-keep-up-with-their-audiences-as-social-media-platforms-evolve/">struggle to diversify their content and meet the ever-changing demands of seemingly random algorithms</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smartphone with social media app icons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some platforms require meeting subscriber thresholds before content can be monetized, with no guarantee the creator will ever meet that threshold, even if they post regularly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Unforeseen challenges</h2>
<p>Unforeseen national policy changes can also add uncertainty. Canada’s impending <a href="https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-11">Bill C-11</a> will require streaming platforms like YouTube to promote a minimum amount of Canadian content to its Canadian users.</p>
<p>This is <a href="https://macleans.ca/politics/why-youtubers-like-me-oppose-bill-c-11/">worrisome</a> for some Canadian content creators, as Bill C-11 does not <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bill-c-11-explained-1.6759878">specifically define</a> what is considered Canadian content, and has the potential to reduce the visibility of their content and make it difficult for them to reach the same number of users.</p>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64792894">TikTok bans in Canada</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">the U.S.</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-privacy-cybersecurity-bytedance-china-2dce297f0aed056efe53309bbcd44a04">elsewhere</a> have some content creators on edge about <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/tiktok-ban-income-1.6765323">potentially losing access to the platform</a>.</p>
<p>All these issues make influencing a difficult career to break into and maintain. It is important for those interested in making a career out of influencing to be aware of these challenges. </p>
<p>As a form of independent entrepreneurship, influencing comes with no regulation, training or support. The result of this can be young content creators struggling with physical and mental health issues brought on by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330033878_Social_Media_Influencer_and_Cyberbullying_A_Lesson_Learned_from_Preliminary_Findings">cyberbullying</a> and high stress.</p>
<p>With more young people wanting to be influencers, it is our job to educate rather than dissuade. By highlighting these realities, we hope to mitigate some of the negative outcomes associated with a career in social media influencing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203306/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As social media becomes more prevalent in our lives, a career as an influencer may seem enticing. But those interested in this new career should be aware of the challenges.Sheldon Fetter, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorPaige Coyne, PhD Candidate, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorSamantha Monk, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorSarah Woodruff, Professor, Director of the Community Health, Enviornment, and Wellness Lab, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1999872023-03-14T19:05:20Z2023-03-14T19:05:20ZTangy apricot Bavarian whip, fried rice medley and bombe Alaska: what Australia’s first food influencer had us cooking<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512826/original/file-20230301-20-tc17uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C1608%2C1029&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/42353480@N02/5757760150/">Ethan/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our food choices are being influenced every day. On social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, food and eating consistently appear on lists of trending topics. </p>
<p>Food has eye-catching appeal and is a universal experience. Everyone has to eat. In recent years, viral recipes like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/02/11/baked-feta-pasta-recipe-tiktok/">feta pasta</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-dalgona-coffee-the-whipped-coffee-trend-taking-over-the-internet-during-coronavirus-isolation-137068">dalgona coffee</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-butter-boards-bad-for-you-an-expert-view-on-the-latest-food-trend-192260">butter boards</a> have taken the world by storm. </p>
<p>Yet food influencing is not a new trend. </p>
<p>Australia’s first food influencer appeared in the pages of Australia’s most popular women’s magazine nearly 70 years ago. Just like today’s creators on Instagram and TikTok, this teenage cook advised her audience what was good to eat and how to make it.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-australian-womens-weekly-spoke-to-50s-housewives-about-the-cold-war-145699">How the Australian Women's Weekly spoke to '50s housewives about the Cold War</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Meet Debbie, our teenage chef</h2>
<p>Debbie commenced her decade-long tenure at the Australian Women’s Weekly in <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4814245">July 1954</a>. We don’t know exactly who played the role of Debbie, which was a pseudonym. Readers were never shown her full face or body – just a set of disembodied hands making various recipes and, eventually, a cartoon portrait. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A short blurb on Debbie, and two photos of hands cooking." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=183&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=183&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=183&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=230&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=230&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511604/original/file-20230222-14-yy4h34.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=230&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Debbie’s first appearance in 1954.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trove</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Like many food influencers today, Debbie was not an “expert” – she was a teenager herself. She taught teenage girls simple yet fashionable recipes they could cook to impress their family and friends, especially boys. </p>
<p>She shared recipes for <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4925379">tangy apricot Bavarian whip</a>, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4819441">fried rice medley</a> and <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4807813">bombe Alaska</a>. Debbie also often taught her readers the basics, like <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52249448">how to boil an egg</a>.</p>
<p>Just like today, many of her recipes showed the readers step-by-step instructions through images. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An unappetising bowl of rice." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511605/original/file-20230222-14-p4xv3j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Debbie’s fried rice medley from 1958.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trove</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Teaching girls to cook (and be ‘good’ women)</h2>
<p>Debbie’s recipes first appeared in the For Teenagers section, which would go on to become the Teenagers Weekly lift-out in 1959. </p>
<p>These lift-outs reflected a major change taking place in wider society: the idea of “teenagers” being their own group with specific interests and behaviours had entered the popular imagination.</p>
<p>Debbie was speaking directly to teenage girls. Adolescents are still forming both their culinary and cultural tastes. They are forming their identities. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511606/original/file-20230222-24-ocpxyv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some tips from Debbie in 1960.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trove</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the Women’s Weekly, and for Debbie, cooking was deemed an essential attribute for women. Girls were seen to be “<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4818166">failures</a>” if they couldn’t at least “cook a baked dinner”, “make real coffee”, “grill a steak to perfection”, “scramble and fry eggs” and “make a salad (with dressing)”. </p>
<p>In addition to teaching girls how to cook, Debbie also taught girls how to catch a husband and become a good wife, a reflection of cultural expectations for women at the time. </p>
<p>Her <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4920059">macaroon trifle</a>, the Women’s Weekly said, was sure to place girls at the top of their male friends’ “matrimony prospect” list!</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-just-masterchef-a-brief-history-of-australian-cookery-competitions-169840">More than just MasterChef: a brief history of Australian cookery competitions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Food fads and fashions</h2>
<p>Food fads usually reflect something important about the world around us. During global COVID lockdowns, we saw a rise in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-historical-roots-of-your-lockdown-sourdough-obsession-137528">sourdough bread-making</a> as people embraced carbohydrate-driven nostalgia in the face of anxiety.</p>
<p>A peek at Debbie’s culinary repertoire can reveal some of the cultural phenomena that impacted Australian teenagers in the 1950s and ‘60s. </p>
<p>Debbie embraced teenage interest in rock'n'roll culture from the early 1960s, the pinnacle of which came at the height of Beatlemania. </p>
<p>The Beatles toured Australia in June 1964. To help her teenage readers celebrate their visit, Debbie wrote an editorial on how to host a <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48077701">Beatles party</a>. </p>
<p>She suggested the party host impress their friends by making “Beatle lollipops”, “Ringo Starrs” (decorated biscuits) and terrifying-looking “Beatle mop-heads” (cakes with chocolate hair). </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511609/original/file-20230222-18-5du7tf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The terrifying mop-heads.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trove</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55185376">A few months later</a>, she also shared recipes for “jam butties” (or sandwiches, apparently a “<a href="https://slate.com/culture/2013/03/the-beatles-and-the-mersey-beat-in-the-latest-blogging-the-beatles-how-the-beatles-popularized-the-sound-of-liverpool.html">Mersey</a> food with a Mersey name”) and a “Beatle burger”. </p>
<p>We can also see the introduction of one of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/article/spag-bol-how-australians-adopted-a-classic-italian-recipe-and-made-it-their-own/9ogvr96ea">Australia’s most beloved dishes</a> in Debbie’s recipes. </p>
<p>In 1957, she showed her teen readers how to make a new dish – <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48076527">spaghetti bolognaise</a> – which had first appeared in the magazine <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46465023">five years prior</a>. </p>
<p>Debbie was influencing the youth of Australia to enthusiastically adopt (and adapt) Italian-style cuisine. It stuck. While the recipe may have evolved, in 2012, Meat and Livestock Australia <a href="https://www.mla.com.au/globalassets/mla-corporate/marketing-beef-and-lamb/last-nights-dinner.pdf">reported</a> that 38% of Australian homes ate “spag bol” at least once a week.</p>
<p>Our food influences today may come from social media, but we shouldn’t forget the impact early influencers such as Debbie had on young people in the past. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511610/original/file-20230222-25-i49d2i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Debbie’s take on the now Aussie favourite, spag bol, in 1957.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trove</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-creative-with-less-recipe-lessons-from-the-australian-womens-weekly-during-wartime-133792">Getting creative with less. Recipe lessons from the Australian Women's Weekly during wartime</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199987/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren Samuelsson received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship when undertaking this research.</span></em></p>Teenage chef Debbie commenced her decade-long tenure at the Australian Women’s Weekly in July 1954 – and her recipes could help with your ‘matrimony prospects’.Lauren Samuelsson, Honorary Fellow, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.