(Mis-) Informed by Social Media Influencers?Benefits and Risks of Following Political Social Media Influencers and the Moderating Role of Media Literacy

Social media influencers who were initially known for marketing and advertising increasingly use their popularity on platforms like TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat to communicate their opinions on political and societal topics to a large network of followers. This increasing political engagement of social media influencers can be seen in a positive light as it may raise political interest and participation among young people who are often not reached anymore by traditional party politics and whose primary source of political information are social media. However, social media influencers may also misuse their popularity and celebrity status to intentionally or unintentionally mis-inform their followers with questionable advices, scientifically unfounded claims, or even conspiracy theories. Therefore, this project investigates how information and misinformation by social media influencers affect young people’s attitudes and behavioral intentions in the areas of health and sustainability.

Keywords:Social Media Influencers, Media Literacy, Misinformation

Disciplines:Digital media, Media audience research