Relationship Substitutes: How (Over) Consuming Digital Influencer Content Impacts Consumer Wellbeing

Consumers often form relationships with social media influencers who produce content featuring themselves and work with brands to influence consumer purchase decisions. These relationships can fulfill certain relational needs for consumers and may enhance offline social connections when friend groups share an interest in a social media influencer. However, over-reliance on social media influencers to fulfill relational needs may also harm consumers. Thus, this research investigates the conditions under which consuming social media influencer content enhances consumer wellbeing as well as when it may be harmful. Through a qualitative methodology combining both interview and archival data, this research examines how consuming social media influencer content influences consumer social connections, perceptions of loneliness, and individual wellbeing.