Role of Celebrities in Enhancing Parasocial Interactions among Fans Using Facebook, X, and Instagram: A Case of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10998Keywords:
Parasocial Interaction, Celebrities, Social Media, Fans, Loneliness, Saudi Arabia, Arab GulfAbstract
Objectives: The current paper aims to explore the role of celebrities in enhancing parasocial interactions among fans using social media—Facebook, X, and Instagram—in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf.
Methods: The methodology involves using descriptive and analytical approaches for their suitability for the scope of the research problem. The research sample consists of a total of 615 participants aged 18 to 79 years. Using the snowball sampling method, the research participants were primarily selected to conduct the current study. The research instrument used in this study is an item-based questionnaire consisting of 45 related items.
Results: The results demonstrate the significant role of celebrities in enhancing parasocial interactions among fans on Facebook, X, and Instagram in Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf. The findings also confirm that more time spent on these platforms results in greater parasocial interaction. However, following a higher number of celebrities does not lead to more parasocial interactions. Additionally, respondents’ loneliness levels contribute to parasocial interaction.
Conclusions: This study contributes to our current understanding of parasocial interaction between social media influencers and their audiences. It is of high significance, as it opens new avenues for future research to conduct comparative studies of parasocial interactions with social media celebrities across various cultures.
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