Are influencers shrewd businesspeople or fame-hungry narcissists?
A new group of books shows how digital creators have turned attention into profits
The internet and its cultural impact are most often viewed through the lens of the “tech bro”, the (usually male) geniuses and fraudsters behind the corporations reshaping the world. Biographies, memoirs and salacious tell-alls about these big-tech bosses have shaped readers’ understanding of how the online world changes the offline one. But these books rarely mention the principal figures who have shaped the experience of being online: social-media influencers.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Bizzy bees”
Culture November 11th 2023
- The business of mining literary estates is booming
- A new Museum of Prohibited Art shows how censorship evolved
- Daphne Caruana Galizia’s son tries to make sense of her murder
- Two new novels showcase the breadth of contemporary French fiction
- Rodeo plays a central role in Native American culture
- Are influencers shrewd businesspeople or fame-hungry narcissists?
More from Culture
Want to spend time with a different American president?
Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news
Los Angeles has lost some of its trailblazing architecture
How will it rebuild?
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves
The left gave him his perch
Astrology is booming, thanks to technology and younger enthusiasts
Gen Z is full of stargazing users
Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment
Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it