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Words to Know!

Influencer - a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media

 

Revenue - income, especially when of a company or organization and of a substantial nature 

 

Brand Deal/Sponsorship - a partnership between creators and brands

 

Brand Integrations - branded content where creators find a way to seamlessly feature a product or service into their videos/posts 

The Cure to Generational Loneliness

Loneliness is becoming a trend of the new generations, and it is partly to do with the fact that cell phone use is on the rise amongst all ages. Loneliness is an uncomfortable feeling. People will do anything to get rid of the feeling. One study researching the effectiveness of self- control when faced with problematic cell phone use noted that, “Different people try to deal with this problem using different ways, one of which is the excessive use of cell-phones” (Garakouei 2). With the instant communication cell phones are able to provide, people have found spending all of their time alone texting, using social media, and watching videos to be a healthy way to rid their loneliness. Messaging friends though social media is not the only way people use cell phones to rid their loneliness, for people find companionship in Youtubers and other content creators. One might develop a prosocial relationship with the creator and begin to feel as though the creator is their friend when in reality the creator has no idea who they are.

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Pic Creds: The Conversation

Problems with Parasocial Relationships

Pic Creds: New York Post

People who are lonely want to feel as though they belong. For some this means finding new friends, but more modern solutions include people joining an influencer’s fanbase. The influencer may post content that relates to one 's life whether it be a video- blogger in high school who shares their daily routine and all of her stressors in their life, or a gamer who plays games that one also enjoys. Being able to relate to content seen on the internet offers a newer feeling of belongingness. If one feels lonely, they may fill the void created by lack of companionship with hours of an influencer’s posted content. This may result in the lonely person developing a parasocial relationship with the creator.The person who is lonely finds a virtual friend, and the content creator gains another tally for their total follower count. Creator has no relationship with their new

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followers. The only service the follower can provide is enabling the creator to make more profit. They may do this by watching the ads before their videos, clicking on links throughout the videos, buying products that the creator is sponsored by, or even investing in stocks that the creator will ultimately profit off of. Some creators may also use their platform and following of lonely people to further their political ideas. People who look to content creators to cure their loneliness are unknowingly joining a cult-like group that  serves the sole purpose of making the content creator money. 

Taking Advantage of Parasocial Relationships

Most of the time creators who post their lives on the internet are unaware of the emotional attachment their viewers have to them and their content. The parasocial relationship between the viewers  and the influencer is as far as the relationship between these two parties will go; however, there are some influencers out there who recognize the captive nature of their content and use that to their advantage. One influencer named Bentinho Massaro recognized this nature and started a cult based on his following. His content appealed to those who had a negative self image of themselves by making videos that allowed people to live their calling from the heart and recognize the natural intelligence of one’s calling. His content could potentially appeal to the masses by being a place where one can feel as though they are understood and belong. He uses multiple platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, and his website to gain followers and spread his relatable self loving ideas. Bentinho manipulates the way his viewers think. He provides information that alters their traditional way of thinking for something that Bentinho believes is a superior method. Part of this superior way of thinking involves paying for a retreat. A ticket to this enlightening experience is just over $1,000 and will consist of a weeklong retreat where the only thing consumed is grape juice. Massor profits from posting content that makes people feel that if they follow the way of thinking depicted in his videos they will have a happier life. People who feel lonely or slightly depressed might find that his content helps them emotiall in one way or another.

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