المؤثـرون الرقميـون، قـادة الـرأي، شـبكات التواصـل الاجتماعـي، كلمـات مفتاحيـة: الرأسـمال الرمـزي.
Abstract : Influenceurs digitaux: Qui sont-ils et comment influencent-ils? [Digital Influencers: Who Are They and How Do They Influence?] represents an important academic contribution to a knowledge field at the crossroads of multiple disciplines: media and communication studies, digital marketing and media sociology. The digital world is no longer just a virtual reality parallel to the real world; the boundaries between the two almost vanish as most real-life practices move to the digital realm, either as an alternative or a complement (e.g. communication, politics, economy, commerce, etc.). The book aims to study the characteristics of "opinion leaders" in the digital world and the methods they use to influence their groups. The scientific literature shows that traditional studies of "opinion leaders" no longer provide sufficient answers to questions arising from engagement with the digital space, especially since many of these studies relied on traditional definitions of opinion leaders or, at best, adapted traditional measures to fit the digital context. Therefore, the book is highly significant due to its novel topic, clear problem statement, methodology and theoretical framework. However, it needs methodological development due to its limited sample and an overload of methodological and theoretical procedures, making it closer to a solid academic research paper than a critical book engaged with the social issues it addresses. While this does not diminish its academic value, it limits the book’s openness to closely related issues such as the hidden role of algorithms in shaping "influencers" and constructing a "parallel world" resembling "echo chambers" where individuals interact only with like-minded people, hearing only their own voices. Also, it overlooks transformations related to building symbolic capital or digital reputation on social networks, as well as major value shifts that redefine societal boundaries of acceptable and forbidden, intimacy and privacy, excessive exhibitionism, and the erosion of traditional legitimacies that once underpinned influence and opinion leadership in favour of standards compatible with a society of speed and consumption. Keywords: Digital Influencers, Opinion Leaders, Social Networks, Symbolic Capital.
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