Age of Influence: How Social Media Stars Impact Culture

Description:

The digital age is full of people and companies constantly trying to sell you something.

The biggest form of advertising is one that often disguises itself in the form of product recommendations from online influencers. Sponsored videos for everything from makeup to video games fill social media feeds daily.

While content creators focus their efforts on making money off of their original ideas, influencers rely on brand deals and convincing their viewers to spend money on products and services from brands that pay them to advertise. Some influencers use content for their own personal gain, while others use the money they earn to support charities and causes they believe in. Follow the history of influencing advertisements from newspapers and magazines to videos and sponsorships, and discover the positive and negative impacts influencers have on culture.

Brief description: Lisa Idzikowski is a former science teacher and writer based in Wisconsin. She has studied birds on the shore of Lake Michigan and loves gardening.