Can You Trust Influencers? The Hidden Power of Parasocial Relationships

Why does an influencer you've never met sometimes feel like a friend?

In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the psychology behind parasocial relationships — the one-sided relationships audiences can develop with influencers, creators, streamers, and other public figures.

We’ll look at how influencers create a sense of intimacy and how those relationships can make advertising more persuasive, reduce our resistance to sales pitches, increase loyalty, and encourage people to spend more time and money with a creator. They can also create enormous pressure for influencers themselves.

And the stakes get even higher when influence moves beyond products and into politics.

As governments, brands, platforms, and political actors recognize how powerful influencers can be, we have to ask a bigger question:

What happens when the person shaping what you think is not a journalist, but someone who feels like your friend?

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