Platform Politics and Influencers Visibility, Invisibility, Hypervisibility

The chapter aims to unpack the entanglements between influencers’ practices, platform politics, and the role of visibility. In particular, it seeks to highlight how social media platforms contribute to establishing regimes of visibility that orient and shape influencers’ activities. To this end, it addresses three relevant dimensions: visibility, invisibility, and hypervisibility. Firstly, attention is paid to the imperative to be visible and how this is embraced by influencers. Secondly, the chapter explores the threat of invisibility, while also showing how voluntary invisibility can be used strategically. Lastly, attention is paid to the risks and challenges associated with hypervisibility, and the implications this holds for content creators at the margins and their representations. The chapter provides a literature review that highlights the role of social media platforms in reproducing inequalities, as well as the ways influencers follow, adapt to, or resist platform politics. Ultimately, it contributes to a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of visibility in the context of the influencer economy.