Social And Cultural Change In The Age Of Internet Fame; A Qualitative Study Of The Fame Economy Among Iranian Influencers

Subject Areas : Media

Azam Velayati ¹ , Mansour Haghighatian ^{2 *} , Seyed Ali Hashemianfar ³

1 - Department of Sociology, Deh.C., Islamic Azad University, Dehaghan, Iran.
2 - Department of Sociology, Deh.C., Islamic Azad University, Dehaghan, Iran.
3 - Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

Received: 2024-09-07 Accepted : 2025-03-15 Published : 2025-07-31

Keywords: New Media, Fame Economy, Social and Cultural Change, Instagram, Social Network, Influencer, Internet Fame.,

Abstract :

In contemporary society, the culture of fame and its underlying social structures have been fundamentally reshaped by the cultural industries and new media, generating novel cycles of economic activity and revenue for well-known and influential individuals. This study aims to explore the social and cultural transformations of the fame economy within Instagram—currently the most widely used and influential social media platform in Iran, with over 31 million active users. Specifically, it examines how Iranian influencers capitalize on internet-driven fame and convert it into economic opportunities. Using a qualitative research design and thematic analysis, the study investigates the Instagram content of 30 prominent influencers, each with between 100,000 and 600,000 followers, selected based on user recognition across 12 distinct categories of activity, according to Lampert’s method. The analysis identifies and categorizes diverse strategies these influencers use to engage with the fame economy. The findings reveal that social and cultural changes driven by internet fame have not only reshaped social stratification but have also prompted influencers to move away from traditional modes of monetizing celebrity. Instead, they are innovating new forms of economic engagement that empower them in entrepreneurship, personal and commercial branding, and the development of networked movements. These processes contribute to the global circulation of localized cultures and norms. Unlike previous fame paradigms, the contemporary fame economy is distinctly personalized and economically driven, emphasizing monetization over influence or role-modeling alone.