As a stream core course, it lays the foundational knowledge and theoretical contours of influencer studies. This course aims to trace the inception of influencer studies to established academic (sub)fields such as audience studies, reality TV studies, fandom studies, gender studies, and in particular sociology of taste (Bourdieu and Gronow), celebrity studies (Grindstaff and Turner) and the recent history of internet celebrity. The course also critically examines the emergent phenomenon of influencers and creators as well as their impact on real world events, cities, and policies locally, regionally and globally. The course will tackle the pressing issues of the contemporary influencer and/or creator sector globally and regionally in the Sinosphere. These issues addressed by this course broadly range from the socioeconomic, political, aesthetic, to the ethical. The course will be delivered in the form of lectures and workshops. The assessment will be: (1) a creative and research group project to take a deep dive into one "rabbit hole" of influencer lores in relation to one prominent issue or controversy outlined in the course; (2) an individual project that explores the students' own social media journeys and personal branding. The two projects will motivate the students to question the ongoing narratives and debates on social media influencers with both theoretical vigour and intimate knowledge of contemporary digital culture.