Throughout time, the concept of celebrity has evolved to include new forms of fame created with each new technology. In today’s increasingly digital world, we are witnessing the explosive growth of this generation’s new idols who owe their fame to social media and are better known as social media influencers. A number of terms are used to refer to all forms of fame on social media and even certain terms are often used interchangeably (micro-celebrity, instafamous, internet famous or influencer are some of these terms). A lack of consensus on terminology and the characteristics that define a social media celebrity or even who should be considered a social media influencer or a digital celebrity of any sort is widespread amongst both scholars and practitioners. This study reviews landmark scholarship on celebrities that will help get a better understanding of the dynamics behind the creation of fame, how attention is captured and sustained, as well as the practices that make monetization possible for social media content creators. A comprehensive hierarchical classification of the different types of social media influencers is provided with updated definitions and characteristics to give a better understanding of the growing range of digital content creators and their status. Furthermore, this study discusses the practices carried out by successful social media influencers and what sets them apart from ordinary fame-seekers in the context of scholar studies.
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Alexandra Ruiz‐Gomez (2019) studied this question.