VIRTUAL BONDS IN THE AESTHETIC REALM: PARASOCIAL INTERACTIONS WITH TIKTOK INFLUENCERS ON YOUNG ADULTS’ WELL-BEING
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Abstract
Indonesia has become the highest country with the most TikTok users at 157.6 million users. The highest social media users are held by early adulthood because they are still in the exploration stage, forming identity, and are susceptible to the influence of self-care content aimed at achieving the desired appearance. As interest in aesthetics and TikTok usage increases, influencers are becoming more prominent. Social media users often feel connected to influencers, considering them authentic and relevant to their interests. The more 'similarities', the higher the chance that individuals will perceive a meaningful relationship with the influencer. Having a meaningful relationship and strong positive emotional bonds are closely related to a person's subjective well-being. This study aims to identify the relationship between parasocial interactions with favourite TikTok influencers and the subjective well-being of early adults in the aesthetics industry. The study used a parasocial interaction scale based on Horton and Wohl theory, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data collection was carried out online using a nonprobability sampling technique with purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study participants consisted of 423 participants who were in early adulthood. The results of the study showed that parasocial interaction has a significant weak positive relationship with subjective well-being (r = .127, p < .05). This means that the higher the parasocial interaction, the higher the individual's subjective well-being.
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