I want you to picture a 16-year-old scrolling before bed; it may be a skincare routine, a "day in my life," a confession of love or despair, all from creators she never met but feels like she knows personally. That's not hypothetical. It's a normal night for a huge share of teenagers today, and it is what our research division is spending this month digging into. The question is: Do teenagers treat influencers as role models or idols? and what is that doing to their sense of identity?
From doing some general research, the numbers back up the feeling. Roughly two-thirds of 15 to 24-year-olds say social media shapes how they see the world, and most Gen Z and millennials trust influencers more than traditional ads that may be seen online or even in-person. Teenage creators themselves now out-engage adult "mega-influencers" several times, meaning the role models teens are most locked into often look just like them. Is that weird? Maybe, though it is a fact and definitely has an impact on society today.
For the science folks? This one is for you guys. Psychologists have a behaviour or relationship they call this, it is referred to as a parasocial relationship; a one-sided emotional bond with someone who doesn't know you exist. It may sound crazy, but this is increasing in the world we live in today. Kids have always formed these with celebrities, but influencers show up daily, speak straight to camera, and seem to bare it all, which is landing at exactly the age when identity is being built…during those messy but fun teenage years.
As someone who loves research? Here is where the fun actually begins. There is a double edge to this topic that is worth studying. Research shows real upside: teens without strong support systems can find validation and representation they don't get elsewhere. Though, the same research flags real risk; intensified parasocial attachment is linked to negative self-comparison and distorted self-image. Same mechanism, opposite outcomes.
Over the coming weeks we'll dig into who teens actually pick as role models, what identity formation looks like when it's built partly in public, the risks and pressures, and the positive/negative outcomes of whether a teenager treats influencers as just a role model, idol, or...maybe even both!
This blog is just the opening question and has a lot to unfold, follow along this path to find out more and see what there is to unravel.