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The Rise and Rise of Mormon Influencers

Jason Howie
/
Wikimedia Commons

A recent exposé in a British newspaper pulled back the curtain on the world of Hannah Neeleman, a hugely popular Utah-based social media influencer. Once an aspiring ballerina, Neeleman’s posts now depict her seemingly idyllic life as a Mormon stay-at-home mom caring for her eight kids, brood of chickens, herd of cows and flock of sheep on a homestead in Kamas, Utah. Her Instagram account is yet another window into a surprisingly large and growing constellation of hugely popular Mormon influencers.

The question is, why? Why, in spite of all of the changes in social media trends and platforms through the years, why do Mormon women like Hannah Neeleman, Rachel Parcell and Amber Fillerup continue to rake in millions of followers and dollars? Social media researcher Mariah Wellman has undertaken a multi-year study to better understand this phenomenon — and she found that the lifestyle and culture of the Beehive State is one factor, as is the LDS Church’s missionary directive. Wellman joins us to talk about what she’s learned, and the future of Mormonism on social media.

Dr. Mariah Wellman | Social media researcher and assistant professor in College of Communication at Michigan State University. You can read her work here.

Airdate: Thur., Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. and Sat. Sept. 28 at 11 a.m.

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