Explaining Parasocial Relationships in the Age of Influencers: A Sociological Approach to Social Media Communication

The present study addresses the formation and maintenance of parasocial relationships between audiences and influencers on social media and their implications for the experience of social relationships. The study aims to provide a sociological explanation of these relationships by examining the interconnected roles of audience characteristics, influencers' communication practices, and the communicative structures of social media platforms. This theoretical study adopts a descriptive-analytical literature review approach. Approximately 100 scholarly articles and other academic sources were initially identified and examined, of which 28 relevant sources were selected for the final analysis. Data were collected from existing academic literature and analyzed through the comparison and synthesis of theoretical concepts and findings from previous studies. Accordingly, the study did not involve a human study population or participant sampling. The findings indicate that parasocial interaction represents an experience associated with media exposure, whereas a parasocial relationship refers to a perceived and relatively enduring bond. The formation and strengthening of such bonds depend not only on repeated exposure but also on self-disclosure, perceived similarity, influencer credibility, social presence, audience participation, and the interactive features of social media platforms. Furthermore, although these relationships may foster feelings of familiarity and belonging, they may also be associated with media dependency and the commercialization of intimacy. The study concludes that parasocial relationships constitute a social and communicative phenomenon emerging from the interplay of individual, relational, and structural dimensions. Understanding these relationships therefore requires moving beyond exclusively psychological or marketing-oriented explanations.