Under det senaste årtiondet har sociala medier använts av mode-influencers till att sprida sina budskap om personlig stil. Med de senaste årens klimatintresse har början till ett skifte skett från att uppmuntra till konsumtion till att i stället skapa medvetenhet om textilindustrins negativa påverkan på miljön. Syftet med denna masteruppsats är att göra en visuell kulturstudie av tre av dessa influencers argumentation genom de filmer de publicerar på Youtube. Den undersöker hur de använder visuell retorik i filmerna för att göra ett trovärdigt intryck och på så vis locka till sig en allt större följarskara och få betalda samarbeten, utan att uppmuntra till onödig konsumtion. I studien ingår sammanlagt nio filmer som publicerades under 2019 och 2020. Filmerna analyseras med hjälp av visuell retorik som kvalitativ metod och tolkas med visuell retorik och produktion av social och kulturell identitet som teoretiska utgångspunkter. En analys av tittarnas kommentarer på filmerna används för att validera resultatet av tolkningen. De tre studerade Youtube-kanalerna ökade sitt antal prenumeranter med i genomsnitt 64 % under den tid som studien pågick och alla tre influencers får betalda samarbeten som de helt eller delvis kan försörja sig på. De undersöker noga de företag de inleder samarbete med och undviker varumärken som inte är accepterade av deras tittare som etiska och miljömässigt hållbara. Alla de tre influencers som ingår i studien använder samma typ av visuell huvudargumentation för att övertyga sina tittare om vikten av en hållbar garderob. De visar exempel på hur de själva kombinerar sina egna kläder på nya sätt för att skapa en personlig stil utan att behöva köpa nytt. Studien visar dock att filmernas innehåll är mindre viktigt än hur trovärdig influencern uppfattas av sina tittare. En tolkning av tittarnas kommentarer ger att de i första hand är intresserade av hur influencern producerar sin identitet med hjälp av kläder och utseende, för att själva inspireras till att hitta sin personliga stil. Genom att efterlikna deras stil kommunicerar de grupptillhörighet med den influencer de följer och får på så sätt del av samma sociala status. / During the last decade, fashion influencers have used social media channels to spread the word about personal style. Due to the global focus on the climate change the content has begun to shift from a consumption culture to creating awareness about the negative influence of the textile industry on the environment. The purpose of this study is to examine three of these influencers’ argumentation in the videos they publish on YouTube. It investigates how the influencers use visual rhetoric to make a trustworthy impression to increase the number of followers and get paid sponsorships, without supporting unnecessary consumption. The study investigates a total of nine videos published on YouTube during 2019 and 2020. The visual content is processed using a qualitative method and analysed with a focus on the theoretical perspectives of visual rhetoric and production of social identity. The written follower comments, of the videos, are used to validate the result of the analysis. The three YouTube channels increased the number of followers with an average of 64 % during the study and the influencers are all in paid collaborations that represent all, or a part of, their total income. They thoroughly research the company before adding a new sponsorship and avoid brands that are not accepted by their followers to be ethical and sustainable. All the three influencers participating in the study use the same principal visual rhetoric arguments to convince the followers of the advantage of a sustainable style. They show a vast variety of outfit combinations using the limited amount of clothes in their wardrobes to create a personal style without the need of adding new clothes. The result of the study indicates, however, that the content of the videos is of less importance than how trustworthy the influencer is perceived by the followers. An analysis of the viewer comments suggest that their primary interest is to get inspiration from how the influencer produces identity through dress and appearance. By emulating their personal style, the followers hope to gain membership of the influencer’s community and achieve similar social status.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur influencers porträtterar psykisk ohälsa på Instagram i text och bild. Metoden är en digital etnografi, med en tematisk analys. Datamaterialet består av sexinfluencer och 41 Instagram-inlägg. Studiens resultat visar att influencer använder sig av olika taktiker för att genereraföljare och ekonomisk vinst i samtalet om psykisk ohälsa. Psykisk ohälsa har både visat sig idenna studie som ett sätt att skapa intima band med sina följare genom att samtala om sina erfarenheter. Men även ett sätt att skapa en förtroende basis med sina följare för att de ska vara lojala nog att köpa sådant som influencers marknadsför. Arbetet utförs genom känsloarbete och intrycksstyrning. Ett arbete för att få den främre regionen att framstå som den bakre, för att på så sätt framställa sig själv som äkta.

This study aims to find out the impact of the credibility and content quality of social media influencers on the various stages of the customer's journey and the intention to choose a destination for the Saudi tourist. The target segment was Saudis in general, who are 18 years or above. To conduct this study, 618 usable questionnaires were collected. This study tested twenty-two hypotheses. The result of this study showed that the relationship between content quality, expertise, and similarity was significantly positive with the tourist's desire and information searching. As well, the relationship between the tourist's desire and information searching was significantly positive with the intention of choosing a destination. Conservatism, engagement, and gender were tested as moderators. Conservatism was not significant while the engagement was significant. Gender was only significant in the relationship between content quality and the tourist's desire. This study contributes to information and knowledge in the fields of tourism, hospitality, travel, marketing, tourist behavior, information science, and social media. Researchers and those interested in tourist and customer behavior can benefit from the results of this study. In the industrial field, this study will be very useful to the Saudi government, which has recently begun to rely on tourism and hospitality as a main source of income. As well, the study can be beneficial for tourism, hospitality and travel companies, hotels, restaurants, marketers of tourist destinations, and workers in the field of tourism and hospitality in general to know the best ways to attract tourists through social media influencers.

This study investigates how Greenfluencers, a subgroup of social media influencers specializing in promoting sustainable lifestyles and raising environmental awareness among their followers, represent sustainability on Instagram. With the assumption of their influence going beyond the commercial sphere, potentially shaping public attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable development, Greenfluencers are considered relevant actors in sustainability communication. This research examines how sustainability is depicted through a qualitative content analysis of posts from ten German-speaking Greenfluencers during August 2023. Drawing on Raworth's "safe and just space for humanity" concept, the study evaluates the content of Greenfluencers' sustainability communication. Results revealed diverse portrayals of sustainability, focusing on environmental issues and individual responsibility. Greenfluencers often overlook the complexity of sustainability, the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental aspects, and the systemic causes of sustainability issues. Their content (partly) promotes ‘green’ consumerism through product recommendations and advertisements, overshadowing systemic solutions. Despite these limitations, Greenfluencers have the potential to serve as role models by promoting impactful, sustainable behaviors, such as adopting a plant-based diet. The exploratory nature of the study, its small sample size, and the limited timeframe of the content analysis limit the generalizability of the findings. The study highlights limitations within influencer-driven sustainability communication and underscores the importance of further investigation into the conditions under which social media influencers’ influence can promote sustainable development.

Syftet med detta arbete är att få en djupare förståelse för hur Gen Z:s konsumentbeteende påverkas av influencers betalda samarbeten på sociala medier.  Studien använder en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, där primärdata samlades in från fokusgrupper bestående av Gen Z deltagare. Empirisk data samlades in genom intervjuer, som sedan transkriberades och analyserades.  Gen Z uppvisar en reklamtrötthet men också en viss avmattning i sin respons mot avvisningskulturen vid kontroverser, vilket snarare motsäger tidigare forkning om Gen Z. Trots den uppvisade reklamtröttheten framträder en viss påverkan på Gen Z:s konsumentbeteende i form av olika typer av engagemang i en relation till influencers. / The aim of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of how influencers' paid collaborations on social media affect Gen Z's consumer behavior.  The study employs a qualitative research method, gathering primary data from focus groups consisting of Gen Z participants. Empirical data was collected through interviews, which were then transcribed and analyzed.  Gen Z shows signs of advertisement exhaustion, alongside a certain deceleration in their response to cancel culture controversies, which goes against previous research findings. Despite this exhaustion from advertisements, there's still a noticeable impact on Gen'Z consumer behavior through various forms of engagement with influencers.

Background: The rapid growth of social media has transformed the influencer marketinglandscape, making Gen Z overwhelmed with digital content and more discerning aboutauthenticity and brand alignment in influencer partnerships. As brands are increasinglyusing fashion influencers as a primary marketing tool due to their substantial impact onconsumer decisions, understanding influencer-brand fit is crucial, highlighting the need forfurther exploration of the consequences of a poor fit. Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study is to gain a deeper understanding of howfemale Gen Z evaluates factors influencing their perception of influencer-brand fit withinthe fashion industry on Instagram, specifically exploring the consequences of a poor fit. Method: Using a qualitative research design within an interpretivist paradigm andinductive approach, empirical data was gathered through semi-structured focus groups andindividual interviews with female Gen Z participants, selected by judgment sampling. Thedata was then analysed using thematic analysis to derive meaningful insights. Conclusion: This study reveals the multifaceted dynamics of influencer-brand fit and itsimpact on female Gen Z's perceived credibility of both fashion influencers and brands.Findings reveal that the factors influencer characteristics, parasocial interactions,collaborative structure, external influence, and influencer-brand image play a pivotal rolein influencing female Gen Z's perception of an influencer-brand fit. Furthermore, the studyhighlights the outcomes of an influencer-brand fit, underscoring that a strong fit increasescredibility and loyalty while a poor fit decreases consumer trust, engagement andcredibility. This study highlights the evolving nature of consumer responses and theimportance of understanding the nuanced preferences of this demographic, underscoringthe need for brands to strategically select influencers whose image and values align closelywith their own.

This thesis examines tactics of conservative influence by the tradwife community on TikTok as observed through a case study of three popular tradwife influencers alongside twelve qualitative interviews with US women during an election year. This mix-methods approach is informed by Social Drama Theory with application of self-congruity theory and recognition to the influence of influencers through perspectives of mediatization theories.  The case study analysis exposes tradwife influence through stages of Social Drama to propagate an effective narrative that women have lost their sense of, and must return to, traditional femininity, as a solution to the difficulties modern feminism has caused. While the interview participants related to the struggles of contemporary womanhood, they expressed firmness in their ideologies, sourced from their respective communities, and that tradwife content will not affect their mindset. However, they recognize tradwives as having great potential to influence those more susceptible. As this thesis unfolds— community, the having or lacking of it, proves to be key in susceptibility for influence.  This thesis occurs during and references the 2024 US American Presidential year, where Republican policy orchestrators aim to cement traditional Christian conservative ideologies into the federal government through the Heritage Foundation’s detailed instructions in Project 2025. The research exposes the impact of consuming aesthetic conservative content from tradwives as having the potential to affect the voting behavior of young US women, and subsequently, their corresponding potential to make conservative ideologies central to government policies.  Through identifying the loss of femininity as a crisis in need of urgent remedy, the study finds tradwife use of aesthetics, personal testimony, relatability, and authenticity to be effective tactics in the ability to influence. Young, voting US women are identified as perceiving the conservative rhetoric through Tradwife influencers as potent and able to sway young audiences. Concerning Project 2025, however, there was a lack of awareness that inhibited analysis, drawing such results as inconclusive.

This thesis discusses the role of Instagram influencers in the lives of Czech teenage girls aged 15-18. The aim of the thesis is to understand how girls perceive these online creators, what kind of relationship they have with them and what role they play in their lives. Emphasis is placed on real experience girls have with Instagram and with the creation of influencers. The theoretical part of the thesis summarizes relevant theories, literature and research on selected issues. The practical part of the thesis focuses on the evaluation of the research, which was carried out with the help of a qualitative research method. In total, seven semi-structured in- depth interviews were carried out with teenage girls actively using Instagram. The main finding is that Instagram influencers are a natural part of these girls' lives. Relationships between followers and online creators can be described as parasocial. In order to succeed on Instagram, an influencer must be authentic, while the degree of proximity in the influencer-follower relationship is also important. The research pointed to a possible online platform migration of both influencers and followers, where Instagram is the target platform for users to operate. Instagram influencers play a social role in girls' relationships with their peers. The...

Arbetet lyfter fram olika framställningar av Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD. För att visa hur konstruktioner byggs upp kommer utgångspunkten vara att granska hur språket i framställningarna används. Syftet med att skildra ytterligheterna i de olika tolkningarna är att belysa att det dels är den sociala kontexten som påverkar talakterna men även hur diskurser påverkar varandra. Det diskurspsykologiska begreppet tolkningsrepertoarer hjälper till att dela in diskurserna i olika sociala sammanhang. Inledningsvis redovisas studier som skildrar hur vardagsdiskurser påverkas av de mer traditionella forskningsdiskurserna. Det är ett specifikt socialt sammanhang som undersöks - en slags semi-vardags-diskurs - som utmärker sig för att vara starkt påverkat av avsändarnas yrkesidentitet som influencers. Materialet som granskas är främst publicerade texter på olika influencers bloggar. Det är fem individer som har valts ut för att de skriver om ADHD på ett sätt där de kopplar sin identitet till diagnosen. Genom att kartlägga subjektspositioner kan det utläsas att aktörerna positionerar sig i en expertroll - de uttrycker hur ADHD-diagnostiserade bör vända sin diagnos till enbart en tillgång. Det skildras hur aktörerna skapar sina egen tolkningsrepertoar samtidigt som de i enstaka fall påverkas av de traditionella forskningsframställningarna. Språkliga handlingar används som resurser för att lyfta fram de sidor av ADHD som gynnar avsändarna. Gemensamt för samtliga utom en är att de vill gestalta en vändning när det kommer till deras egen inställning till diagnosen, vilket ofta görs genom att beskriva ett stökigt förflutet i kontrast till hur de beskriver att de idag ser på ADHD som näst intill enbart något positivt. Aktören vars beskrivningar skiljer sig från resten, ska visa sig inte vara diagnostiserad men talar ändå på ett sätt där identitet kopplas till diagnos - genom att beskriva sina beteenden som ”typiska för en ADHD-person”. Ytterligare en aspekt som förstärker konstaterandet av att de aktörer vars språk granskas, framställer en stark koppling mellan identitet och diagnos.

Depuis plusieurs années, un nouveau phénomène lié aux données numériques émerge : des données de plus en plus volumineuses, variées et véloces, apparaissent et sont désormais disponibles, elles sont souvent qualifiées de données complexes. Dans cette thèse, nous focalisons sur un type particulier de données complexes : les séquences complexes d’événements, en posant la question suivante : “comment prédire au plus tôt et influencer l’apparition des événements futurs dans une séquence complexe d’événements ?”. Tout d’abord, nous traitons le problème de prédiction au plus tôt des événements. Nous proposons un algorithme de fouille de règles d’épisode DEER qui a l’originalité de maîtriser l’horizon d’apparition des événements futurs à travers d’une distance imposée au sein de règles extraites. Dans un deuxième temps, nous focalisons sur la détection de l’émergence dans un flux d’événements. Nous proposons l’algorithme EER pour la détection au plus tôt de l’émergence de nouvelles règles. Pour augmenter la fiabilité de nouvelles règles lorsque leur support est très faible, EER s’appuie sur la similarité entre ces règles et les règles déjà connues. Enfin, nous étudions l’impact porté par des événements sur d’autres dans une séquence d’événements. Nous proposons l’algorithme IE qui introduit la notion des “événements influenceurs” et étudie l’influence sur le support, la confiance et la distance à travers de trois mesures d’influence proposées. Ces travaux sont évalués et validés par une étude expérimentale menée sur un corpus de données réelles issues de blogs / For several years now, a new phenomenon related to digital data is emerging : data which are increasingly voluminous, varied and rapid, appears and becomes available, they are often referred to as complex data. In this dissertation, we focus on a particular type of data : complex sequence of events, by asking the following question : “how to predict as soon as possible and to influence the appearance of future events within a complex sequence of events?”. First of all, we focus on the problem of predicting events as soon as possible in a sequence of events. We propose DEER : an algorithm for mining episode rules, which has the originality of controlling the horizon of the appearance of future events by imposing a temporal distance within the extracted rules. In a second phase, we address the problem of emergence detection in an events stream. We propose EER : an algorithm for detecting new emergent rules as soon as possible. In order to increase the reliability of new rules, EER relies on the similarity between theses rules and previously extracted rules. At last, we study the impact carried by events on other events within a sequence of events. We propose IE : an algorithm that introduces the concept of “influencer events” and studies the influence on the support, on the confidence and on the distance through three proposed measures. Our work is evaluated and validated through an experimental study carried on a real data set of blogs messages