LECTURE

From Followers to Role Models: What Do Influencers Owe Us?

WED 7 OCTOBER, 20:00

Auditorium, Minderbroedersberg 4-6

Catherine M. Robb, PhD

Assistant Professor of Practical Philosophy, Tilburg University

Social media influencers shape what we pay attention to, what we buy, our likes and dislikes, and sometimes our identity. But do they have a duty to be role models? In this talk, we’ll consider whether arguments about the ethics of celebrity and role-model duties apply to influencers. We’ll see how complex this is: influencers invite attention and admiration by sharing their lives, but their public persona is carefully curated, suggesting a right to privacy.

Catherine M. Robb is a philosopher working at Tilburg University. Originally from Scotland, Catherine moved to the Netherlands in 2018. She is particularly interested in the philosophy of popular culture, the ethics of self-development and talent, and what it is to be a good philosopher.