Do you spend your leisure time watching how others spend their leisure time on reality TV? Are you keeping up with the Kardashians? Do you wonder how a reality star became the President of the United States? Celebrities have always played an important role in society, but it seems that celebrity news and entertainment have become more pervasive and influential than ever before. Surreal: How Reality TV and Influencers Change Our Perception of the World seeks to better understand how those working within the influence economy are leveraging their wide-reaching, captive audiences to sell a point of view. This book explores: What role do celebrities and social media influencers play in American culture? How have changes in the media landscape enabled the rapid expansion of the influencer economy? How do we know where to place our trust when nearly everyone has a platform and a microphone? Contrary to popular belief, the author -- a public relations consultant -- makes the case that reality TV and celebrity obsessions are not eroding society. Instead, she argues, society should embrace these guilty pleasures with open arms to capture the insights they share about our culture and how they enable us to connect with our peers.