| Welcome to a world of networking, hustling, coffee, cupcakes, and cocktails; a world where social media is not only an interest, but a way that people meet, become friends, make money, and stay connected. Here, social media is both a passion and a profession, but there is also an unspoken tension. My research analyzes how social media managers---those who manage online communities and create content across digital platforms---work in social media (referring to the work practice of social media managers), and also do the work of social media (referring to the curation of their personal brand using social media to leverage a strategic advantage in the job market). Using a mixed method approach, including three years of fieldwork in Toronto and semi-structured interviews with social media professionals, this dissertation analyzes the "social media scene" and identifies elements of the changing landscape of work and self-presentation in an age of social media. The research examines the practice of community management across various industries, including marketing agencies, entertainment, not-for-profit, education, government, telecommunications, retail, and sports.;The dissertation uncovers an emerging feminization of social media within the profession. I argue that social media management represents the next iteration of the devaluation of women's work in the tech industry, mirroring the history of women's labour in technology. I uncover how people are adopting personal branding practices on social media as a strategy to gain control of their own lives and careers against conditions of increased corporatization, job insecurity, and precarious economic times. I explore the influencer economy and introduce the term "casual influencer" to refer to an ordinary person who posts sponsored content on behalf of a brand, and are typically compensated with free "swag" or experiences, which points to the commercialization of community. The dissertation contributes to our understanding of the inherent contradictions and binaries of living and working in a digitally mediated world: the double labour of working on personal branding as an integral aspect of being an employee; the dissolving divide between the personal and the professional; and the visibility of influence and invisibility of disclosure inherent in social media. |
