Negotiating authenticity: Experiences of student influencers on social media

Abstract

Research has shown that contemporary youth face a variety of challenges, ranging from social belonging to striving towards perfection in body image and personal achievements in all areas of life. Student life is expected to add further complexities, reflected in a need to negotiate new social connections, spatial environments and academic and future-oriented challenges. This project engaged with a unique and hard-to-reach group of students who define themselves and are defined by others as social media influencers. The objective was to explore the ways in which the participants’ experiences of the influencer marketing industry and its pressures for authenticity intersect with the experiences of being a student. The article draws on 13 in-depth interviews with UK-based student influencers with profiles on different platforms (including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and the Little Red Book) and discusses how these students navigate the increasingly complex field of monetisation of their content, while maintaining a sense of authenticity and success as a student. It reveals the moments of transition encountered by students when constructing oneself as a successful student who produces content that has strong educational value, and the intricate processes entailed in preserving one’s brand on social media platforms.