‘Influencers are just mannequins’: Decoding teenagers’ perception about advertising content creators

Abstract

This study investigates teenagers’ skepticism toward influencer trust and its implications for their perceptions of and receptiveness to social media advertising. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed 1055 teenagers to gauge their perceptions of influencers’ advertising intensity. Additionally, qualitative focus groups involving 55 participants explored a range of perceptions, addressing their distrust toward influencers and the breakdown of parasocial relationships with these profiles. Findings suggest that teenagers perceive influencers as mannequins aimed at entertainment and attention capture, lacking humanity and credibility as advertising vessels. This perception influences consumption habits, favoring advertising intensity over authenticity. The emergence of influencers as vacuous entities underscores the tangible repercussions associated with monetizing their image over human value.