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Director of Undergraduate Programs, Associate Professor

Kelli Burns

Kelli S. Burns is an associate professor and the director of undergraduate programs at the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications at the University of South Florida, having joined in 2006. Prior to her tenure at USF, she taught at Elon University and Middle Tennessee State University and earned her PhD in mass communication from the University of Florida. She's the author of works including "Social Media: A Reference Handbook" and "Celeb 2.0: How Social Media Foster our Fascination with Popular Culture." Outside the academic realm, Kelli is a sought-after public speaker and an expert on social media topics in news stories.

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Contributor Brief·Kelli Burns · 2 articles
Updated Nov 17, 2023

Platform power creates creator opportunity and user risk simultaneously

Burns argues that major platforms wield dual power: they can unlock new revenue streams and audience reach for creators through AI and integration tools, yet simultaneously expose users to privacy risks and lock-in effects that platforms themselves engineer. She contends that creator gains and user losses are often two sides of the same platform strategy.

2

distinct platform monetization shifts Burns identifies in creator economy

“AI-generated music tools could help creators attract larger audiences while unlocking new monetization opportunities.”

YouTube's Investment in AI Could Prove a Win for Digital Content Creators

Platform leverage points Burns identifies across creator and user dynamics

AI tools driving creator audience growth1
Revenue unlock through native platform features1
Privacy practices steering user defection1
Integration lock-in reducing platform switching1

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25%AI tools
AI tools driving creator audience growth
Revenue unlock through native platform features
Privacy practices steering user defection
Integration lock-in reducing platform switching

Instagram seamless integration

Threads leveraged existing user base to drive rapid adoption spike

Rapid initial adoption has [sustainability questions given] Meta's extremely vast user base dependency.

Meta's Threads App Launch Made Frustrated Users Flee

Privacy practices could steer more [users] away despite platform integration advantages.

Meta's Threads App Launch Made Frustrated Users Flee

“Platform features that maximize creator gains often maximize user data extraction.”

Themes:Platform-enabled creator monetization through AI and native toolsPrivacy practices as silent user attrition driver despite feature integrationTension between creator opportunity and user lock-in economics

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