The science behind digital influencers:
Parasocial Relationships
The top influencers today have hundreds of millions of followers on Instagram and literally billions of views on YouTube. These people are actively seeking to build what’s called a parasocial relationship with their followers, and then looking for ways to monetize that, through paid sponsorships, Patreon, merch, and advertising. Parasocial experiences were first described in the early days of television, back in the 1950s, but recently there’s been a burst of academic research in this. A lot of this has looked at the rise of social media influencers and the parasocial relationships that are formed, especially in emerging generations.
Social anxiety, loneliness, and depression are particularly prevalent among Gen Z, and one way they deal with this is by forming parasocial relationships with influencers online. In fact, this social anxiety may even be pushing Gen Z toward parasocial relationships, because these are safe. There’s no risk. They can sit back and watch their favorite YouTube personalities or TikTokers without fear of being judged. To the human brain, the emotional reaction to parasocial relationships is almost identical as the emotions connected to in-person social experiences. It may be an illusion, it may be one-sided, but it is very real.
Parasocial relationships are a fascinating aspect of the human experience, and the way ReelFaith taps into this is a game-changer for digital ministry.
So what do you say—ready to try it out?
