ABSTRACT
The time we spend connected to social networks is growing more and more. The phenomenon of social media entertainment is capturing the attention of the traditional media audience and of the entertainment industry in general. The digital footprint has economic value – something which clashes with the right to privacy and intimacy. In a scenario dominated by platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Snapchat, Twitter, and so on, many users have appeared and are actively participating with each of them: vloggers, streamers, YouTubers, influencers, Instagrammers, gameplayers, TikTokers, and so on. In the context of this mixture, the book focuses on the phenomenon of influencers. It discusses how digital media and specifically social media open up new opportunities for scholars, describing and discussing them in further detail. The book analyses the use of algorithms in social media. It explores the complexities of news production and distribution across the highly popular social media platforms, YouTube and Instagram.
