Social media influencers and followers’ loneliness: the mediating roles of parasocial relationship, sense of belonging, and social support

Abstract

Prior research examines how social media use in general affects experiences of loneliness, but few studies have investigated the specific effects of interaction with social media influencers on loneliness and well-being. The study investigates how followers’ interaction with social media influencers affects loneliness through mediation mechanisms underlying this process.

Keywords

• social media influencers
• loneliness
• parasocial relationships
• sense of belonging
• perceived social support
• united states