COMM449N

This course examines both the history of the idea of "influence" as a cultural and communicative activity, as well as the specific nature of today's social influence as perpetuated over social media. Specific topics addressed will include: the legacy of "conspicuous consumption," "opinion leaders," and "influentials" in the history of twentieth-century marketing and consumer culture; the role of social media platforms in shaping attention and income; the promise-and increasing necessity-of transforming one's identity into a personal "brand" to be consumed by others; changes in fame and celebrity over social media; precarity, burnout, and exhaustion in the name of achieving fame; the production of image versus the "reality" behind social media celebrity.