Rachel Berryman is a media scholar originally from Aotearoa New Zealand. She was awarded a PhD in Internet Studies from Curtin University in 2026. Her doctoral thesis analysed the fictional, social media entities popularly known as “virtual influencers”, exploring their history, impact, aesthetics, and commercialisation, particularly in East Asia. She is co-editor for two forthcoming books: Virtual Celebrity Cultures in Asia (with Crystal Abidin) and Routledge Handbook of Influencer Cultures in the Asia Pacific (with Crystal Abidin and Hao Zheng), both contracted by Routledge for expected publication in 2027. She has co-authored book chapters on online toxicity in Korea and technology in the K-pop industry, and is currently exploring articulations of “banal virtuality” in the commercial practices of Korea’s virtual influencers. Learn more at rachelberryman.com