Framing emerging behaviors influenced by internet celebrity

Abstract

Arguably, the advent of the Internet and, recently, social media have, to a certain extent, contributed to the global quest for fame and celebritization. Fueled by advanced telecommunication technology and capitalism, the coined Internet celebrity has become a cultural phenomenon that captivates, especially, younger generations struggling for being “liked” or “shared” in the “connected” society. By analyzing the literature on celebrity conceptualization and related topics, this study aimed to explore theoretically the phenomenon and the underlying social cultural influence of this new kind of capital through social construction, mostly based upon Max Weber's fragmentary theory of the modern state, of contemporary celebritization in the modern social media era, including celebrity meaning, celebrity status, celebrity capital, and celebrity culture The parasocial interactions between Internet celebrities and their audiences lead to emerging online behaviors. In addition, the ultimate goal for future research is to investigate the impact of social media celebrity on the younger generations in a consumerist society.