How Do Influencers Influence?

50 minute seminar style talk about how computers and the internet are designed, and how those design decisions impact users. Finally an important question will be asked: who owns your computer?

The social media influencer has taken up a space traditionally reserved for television personalities, models, advertisers, talk radio presenters, news readers, and a whole host of other public facing communicators. However, whilst Terry Wogan gleamed some of his legitimacy, and most of his pay, from the publicly funded and regulated BBC, modern influencers get their information, money, legitimacy, and platform from a whole host of actors, not all in ‘good faith’. How do influencers become influential? How are they paid? And how does this shape what message they share? Finally, how do influencers influence you?

Taylor Rockhill is a PhD candidate at SOAS, University of London in Development Economics. He specialises in the development of the ICT industry in West and East Africa and South Asia. He further specialises in critical engagements around the topic of ‘AI’ and computational statistics. He is happily married and has two cats, one of which he gives increasingly absurd nicknames to on a regular basis.

Open to persons of all ages who are curious about the making of the ‘influencer’ space. 

Of particular interest to those interested in social media, influencers, and the gig economy

By invitation only.