The Influence of Social Media Influencers on Adolescent Behavior: An Analysis of Positive and Negative Effects

Abstract

This phenomenon of social media influencers (SMI) gaining increasing attention among teenagers, who are active social media users, is a significant topic. SMIs not only act as digital content creators but also influence how teenagers think, act, and make decisions. The influence of SMIs on social media is often appealing to teenagers due to various factors, but not all effects are positive because they can also have negative impacts in the short and long term. This study was conducted to examine the influence of SMIs on teenagers' behavior by exploring both positive and negative effects. The research used a quantitative approach through a survey involving 164 teenagers aged 13 to 17 years. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29 through descriptive analysis. Overall, the findings show that the influence of SMIs on adolescent behavior tends to have more positive effects than negative ones. All positive effect elements—lifestyle, attitude, ethics, knowledge, and education—were at a high level with an overall mean of 3.78, while the negative effect elements recorded a much lower mean of 2.36. Knowledge and education emerged as the most dominant dimension within the positive effects group (mean = 3.83), whereas ethics recorded the highest score within the negative effects group (mean = 2.49), though still in the low range. The significant difference in mean values between positive and negative effects indicates that teenagers generally accept constructive influences from SMIs, particularly in the form of increased literacy, positive attitudes, critical thinking, and healthy lifestyles. The lower standard deviation values in positive effects suggest stability and consistency in respondents’ perceptions of the positive impact, strengthening the belief that SMI influence on adolescent behavior occurs constructively and in a controlled manner. These findings also imply that teenagers’ engagement with SMIs should be strategically guided to maximize positive potential and minimize negative influences through media literacy and self-filtering strategies.