Parasocial media: why influencers really aren't your friend

An essay version of the video is below. You can subscribe to the audio-only podcast feed over on Apple’s Podcast app and other apps if audio is more your speed. It’s also available as a raw podcast feed if you want to subscribe to it directly in the podcast app of your choice. For fans of video, there’s both the YouTube channel and the TikTok account. Overview # The “parasocial” illusion that’s created by social media platforms helps deceive and misguide you, the audience. Video # Audio # Why influencers really aren't your friend Download audio Parasocial media # Those people aren’t your friends. By those people I mean social media influencers and similarly popular accounts on your preferred social media platform. Obviously online friendships are real. I’ve based my entire career on the relationships I’ve built online. None of my work over the past 25 years would have happened without the mutual connections that you can build on the various social media networks. And those friendships…