Ser influencer

: retratos sociológicos de influencers portugueses

Abstract

This dissertation was carried out within the scope of the study of a rising phenomenon, the digital influencers, in order to provide contemporary society with knowledge of what it is, exactly, to be an influencer. The specific objectives of this investigation are to know the motivations of the influencers; determine whether or not the conditions of origin facilitate the appearance of dispositions to be an influencer; analyze the relationship that exists between the remuneration of influencers and the authenticity of their publications; understand the sociodemographic characteristics of its followers; understand if being an influencer can be considered a profession and, finally, understand the changes caused in the lifestyle of individuals resulting from the exercise of their activity as digital influencers. To achieve the objectives set, semi-structured interviews of a biographical character were applied to ten Portuguese influencers, which were subsequently interpreted and analyzed using the construction of sociological portraits. The main conclusions of the work include the fact that influencers are mostly driven by personal factors; family constraints of origin and the level of education, although inhibitors or drivers, are not preponderant in the appearance of dispositions in individuals to be an influencer; the lack of a directly proportional relationship between the remuneration of influencers and the authenticity of their publications; the ability of influencers to approach different topics and reach different market niches; the validation of the activity of digital content creator as a profession; and the existence of changes in the lifestyle of individuals fostered by this activity.

Date of Award	23 Jul 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sandra Lima Coelho (Supervisor) & Carla Martins (Co-Supervisor)