Who feels influenced? Investigating the (non-)political experiences of young adults with social media influencers using a latent profile analysis

Abstract

Young people increasingly rely on social media influencers (SMI) for news and socially relevant information. Despite the growing importance of these communicators, the interplay between young people’s non-political and political experiences with SMI remains underexplored. That is, a nuanced, person-centered understanding of how recipients experience and are influenced by different types of SMIs (i.e., lifestyle and political) is still lacking. To fill this gap, we conducted a latent profile analysis (LPA) to uncover the diversity within the target audience of SMI, particularly among young (aged 18–29 years), social media-savvy individuals in Germany (N = 1,501). We identified three user profiles: Average, Politically Engaged, and Politically Disengaged SMI users. These user profiles differ regarding SMI exposure, perceptions, and perceived past influence. Our findings highlight the complexity of SMI influence, showing that only certain young people are particularly susceptible to SMI communication, challenging generalized concerns about their vulnerability.