Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Mass Communication - Department of Radio and Televison

Social media studies are the most controversial issue in the current decade as people started to deal with it as a life necessity and a channel through which new information is being produced every day. This study does not focus on the social media phenomena, but it highlights the outcome of using it like the rise of social media influencers. Influencers have turned from being a source of information as experts to being a virtual friend to their followers, especially adolescents. The more time adolescents spend on social media platforms, the more they interact, depend and communicate with social media influencers, who have become a good and trustful alternative to peers and colleagues. The aim of this study is to identify social media influencers, study the pattern of their posts, frequency of posting, reason of posting and the way of their followers' interaction. Therefore, the researcher conducted a qualitative content analysis of five social media influencers{u2019} Facebook pages and Instagram accounts. The study was also keen on determining the relationship between the role of parental mediation on adolescents and their reliance on social media influencers throughout their life decisions, problems and pieces of advice. The researcher created two questionnaires: one addressed to 200 adolescents from those who follow social media influencers to know their reason behind following them, the effect on the cognitive level, behaviors and emotions and if they replace their parental mediation. The second questionnaire is addressed to 200 parents from those who are aware of the existence of social media influencers to determine the type of mediation they use and know the degree of their involvement in their adolescents' online activities

Issued also as CD