Influenced

Social media influencers have turned attention into income, visibility and personal validation, and this book asks what that attention costs the people chasing it. Its author, Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, is presented as a leading expert on human perception, and he contends that the effects of the influencer economy are already reshaping people in ways most users never notice.

The book looks at the many ways people try to grow a following online, from collecting friends, fans and followers to polishing a public digital footprint. Beyond the appeal of revenue, reach and personal pride, it asks what sustained engagement does to the mind. According to the research discussed, habitual social media use is changing how people think, feel and interpret their surroundings, and even how they react to everyday stimuli. A single "Like" may look like a momentary tap, yet brain scans show the brain visibly responding to every buzz, alert and notification as users wait to see how their network answers.

The book walks through the ordinary actions that keep people online: liking a post, following an influencer, watching a video, sharing or resharing an article, posting or reposting a photo, leaving a comment, joining a trend, and simply scrolling for new material. It also considers why so many people feel compelled to keep coming back.

Dr. Boxer Wachler supports his argument with his own social and medical observations, interviews with prominent influencers, recent studies, and pop culture examples.