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Introduction: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is crucial for the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. However, the introduction of the vaccine in Nigeria has been received with scepticism due to widespread misinformation, leading to vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, social media has become a powerful medium for disseminating false information. Using the social influence theory, this study investigated the effectiveness of social media influencers in correcting misconceptions about the HPV vaccine, reducing vaccine hesitancy, and promoting uptake. Methods: Eight social media influencers (with 1,000-23,000 followers) were engaged. A pre-post quasi-experimental, mixed methods study design was employed, including baseline key informant interviews of the influencers and quantitative surveys of their audiences. Data was analysed using SPSS and NVivo.Baseline data on HPV-related discussions were collected across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok using an AI-powered social listening tool, thematically analysed, and insights used to develop targeted messages which were disseminated across platforms using pre-determined hashtags. Dissemination formats included infographics, videos, and interactive live sessions. Interviews and surveys were repeated post-intervention and compared to baseline. Results: The influencers amplified the key messages with 189 posts in different formats, including infographics (178), videos (3) and live sessions (8). This generated 82,014 views and 87,672 interactions.There were 224 survey respondents across 21 states, with Kano, Kaduna and Lagos as the most represented states. Majority of respondents were males, accounting for 87% and 77% at baseline and end line respectively. Most predominant age group was 25-34 years old, comprising 50% at both baseline and end-line. The most common reason for not vaccinating eligible girls was lack of sufficient information, cited by 64% of the respondents at baseline and 21% at end-line; the second most common reason was fear of side effects, 7% at baseline and 51% at end-line. Awareness of the HPV vaccine increased from 50% to 80%, vaccination rates among eligible girls increased from 30% to 50%, and willingness to recommend the vaccine increased from 50% to 60%. Discussion: The study findings highlight the potential of trusted social media influencers in reducing vaccine hesitancy. However, the data shows that this approach might not be very effective in addressing fears about side effects, as this might require a more targeted approach with experts, corroborated by similar studies on influencers' impact in communicating topics requiring a high level of expertise. Thus, influencers’ effectiveness might be enhanced by capacity building. Future research should include longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of influencer-led interventions on vaccine uptake. Conclusion: Social media influencers can be effective, trusted messengers for public health campaigns. Vaccination campaigns can leverage them to address hesitancy and boost acceptance.

Social media influencers (SMI) are increasingly becoming the target of online aggression. The first part of this study focuses on how this group of online users deals with online aggression and more specifically which coping strategies they use. In contrast to ordinary social media users, SMI experience online aggression situations on two levels: on a personal level and a human brand level. As a second aim, this study wants to explore whether and how personal emotions on the one hand and brand concerns on the other hand explain SMI's choice of coping strategies based on a combination of Transaction Coping Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory. To meet these aims, we conducted a survey among an international sample of SMI (N = 200; Mage= 36.19; 47% female) about their experiences with online aggression, personal emotions, brand concerns and coping strategies. The results of CFA and hierarchical regressions indicate that SMI coping strategies can be classified into cognitive, behavioral and social strategies, with cognitive strategies being the most commonly used. The use of the three types of strategies can be explained by both personal emotions (e.g., being angry and scared) as well as brand concerns (e.g., being concerned about losing commercial opportunities). The brand concerns seem to overwrite part of the contributions of personal emotions, which might point to emotional labor. Lastly, how often one experiences online aggression turns out to be a very important factor above and beyond personal emotions and brand concerns.

This study examined how exposure to social media influencer (SMI) content affects social media engagement (SME), knowledge acquisition, social self-efficacy (SSE), and social interaction. Structural equation analysis indicated that exposure to SMI content improves SME, perceptions of knowledge acquisition, and SSE. In turn, perceptions of knowledge acquisition improved SSE and improved both online and offline social interaction. Perceptions of knowledge acquisition positively mediated between exposure to SMI content and online social interaction, between SME and online social interaction, and between SME and SSE. The study concludes that following an SMI empowers users regarding perceptions of knowledge and SSE, and that these two then improve social interaction with others. These effects are important in the context of social media misinformation and the fact that SMI content is widely consumed and yet remains largely unvetted for accuracy and authenticity.

Social Media Influencers (SMIs) refer to content creators, entertainment and art vloggers, online gamers, online streamers and any other activities related to social media. SMIs have gained significant portion of media today replacing tradition media and increasingly interacting in education, economy and entertainment world. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of SMIs on adolescents' behavior including intellectual, social, ethical and healthy aspects from the adolescents' perception and perspectives in Middle East countries. Online survey included 27 items was structured and distributed in five Middle East countries. By using convenience sampling, 1612 adolescents (aged 12–22) have completed the questionnaire. Results revealed that SMIs have positive significant impact on adolescents' intellectual aspect while this impact was also significant but negative with different degrees on social, ethical health aspects of adolescents in Middle East countries. Results also revealed that Facebook, what's app and Instagram were the most dominants social media platforms used among adolescents in Middle East countries. This study yields major theoretical contribution as it explores the SMIs influence on adolescents in Middle East and building examination tool based on characteristics and culture of Middle East region.

Aiming to explore the process of social influence in the social media environment, this study addresses consumers' complex psychological processes, attitudes, and behaviors when interacting with social media influencers (SMIs). Our main objective is to explore the impact of follower status on parasocial relations (PSRs) with SMIs considering the moderating role of the involvement with the product the SMI is advertising on Instagram. Furthermore, we investigate how follower status, mediated by PSRs and the SMI's credibility, has an impact on the effectiveness of the persuasive process and contributes to SMIs' social influence in online environments. We worked together with an actual female SMI with 12,000 followers who posts content on Instagram. Contrary to our predictions, our results showed that being a follower on Instagram does not necessarily mean having a PSR with an SMI. Product involvement has a moderating role in the sense that only those followers who report having high involvement have a strong PSR with the SMI. Moreover, a PSR positively impacts the SMI's credibility, leading to positive attitudes toward the brand and increased intentions to purchase the advertised products and spread the content created by the SMI on social media.

Social media influencers are popular among adolescents and could offer a unique way to reach young people at scale with body image interventions. This study explored girls' and influencers' views on having influencers deliver body image interventions through vlogs (video blogs) and to gain insight into their preferred format, content, and views on factors that encourage engagement with vlogs. Twenty-one UK based participants were recruited. Three online focus groups were conducted with adolescent girls (n = 16) aged 14-18 years and one with influencers (n = 5) aged 24-33 years, who had a collective following of over 1.5 million subscribers across social media platforms. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and four themes were generated: Choosing an influencer whose messages and core values are aligned with the topic of body image; the importance of influencer authenticity and personal experience; collaborating on content creation with mental health professionals; and the need for long-form (i.e., 10-20 min) content to address serious topics. Findings suggest having influencers deliver body image interventions to young people could be a useful approach. Results highlight the need to engage with end users from the outset of intervention development to increase the likelihood of intervention effectiveness and engagement., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The Dove Self-Esteem Project were not a funder or collaborator on the research, but they were invited to share their expertise on marketing and social media content creation in relation to body image during the workshop. Given their involvement, we want to declare that Phillippa Diedrichs and Sharon Haywood were on the Dove Self-Esteem Project Global Advisory Board from 2013 to 2016. Phillippa Diedrichs is an independent consultant to the Dove Self-Esteem Project and Sharon Haywood was an independent consultant to the Dove Self-Esteem Project in 2021 and 2023. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest in relation to this work., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Like many other goods and services, performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs), and particularly androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS), are increasingly discussed and promoted by social media influencers. Little, however, is known about the influencers specialized in PIEDs and which drugs and services they promote and sell., Aims: Against this background, the study has been intended to identify prominent influencers specialized in PIEDs, examine the market activities they engage in, and assess the latter's legality., Methods: We first searched the clean internet to identify prominent PIED influencers. Second, we conducted a six-month-long, non-reactive digital ethnography of the social media accounts of 20 influencers and, via a content analysis, identified the market activities they engage in. Third, we assessed the latter's legality, primarily using the EU legislation as a benchmark., Findings: The selected influencers are all current or former bodybuilders, predominantly male and from the United States. Many of them have developed a considerable number of followers, in three cases exceeding one million. They engage in various market activities that span the whole spectrum of legality, from legal to illegal, with many activities having an uncertain, but often dubious, legal status., Conclusions: Though they may promote harm reduction for some users, PIED influencers also promote the public acceptance of PIED use beyond the bodybuilding community and enhance access to PIEDs for millions of people. Multifaceted policy interventions are required, aiming at preventing influencers from becoming a major source of information on, and route of access to, PIEDs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no declarations of interest, (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The relationship between social media usage and body image has been well-established in the literature; however, social media companies' use of algorithms may intensify this association, as algorithms provide viewers with personalized content that is often more extreme, less monitored, and designed to keep users engaged for longer periods of time. This article details the recent media coverage of algorithms, revelations by former social media employees regarding the problematic usage of algorithms, and revelations that social media companies are aware of the harm posed by their implementation of algorithms, particularly for young, vulnerable users. We provide recommendations for influencers, educators, researchers, clinicians, parents, and users, and conclude that it is ultimately the responsibility of the social media corporations to protect and enhance the well-being of their users., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)