RESEARCH PROBLEM

My research studies how influencers and celebrities impact Ryerson students. I am curious about the world of social media and wanted to understand what qualities my fellow peers are attracted to when it comes to consumerism, body image, overall influence, and a product endorsed by their favourite celebrity. However, an issue I encountered when conducting my research was the lack of research specific to my study regarding university students and the impact social media influencers/ celebrities had on them.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Personally, my social media is flooded with celebrities and influencers, whether it is on an explore page on Instagram, recommended on YouTube, trending on Twitter or popular stories on Snapchat. This sparked some curiosity for me because I wondered if the influx of content from celebrities and influencers despite me not even following them is the case for other Ryerson students. This research will discuss the use of social media when it comes to the impact celebrities and social media influencers have on body image, consumerism, marketing and their overall influence on their followers. All of my peer reviewed sources will be used and connected with my data to answer the question how are Ryerson Students impacted by influencers on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook)?

METHOD

I used quantitative research in my study though the use of a survey because it provided me with an accurate data-collection method. I decided I would gather all my results and organize them into visuals in the form of graphs on the Survey Monkey platform. This will aid me in answering my research question by showing me the extent to which Ryerson students are influenced by celebrities and social media influencers in the form of percentages.

SURVEY RESULTS

ANALYSIS

The purpose of my research was to determine the ways in which Ryerson students are impacted by social media influencers and celebrities. I identified the ways in which these influencers contribute to body image, consumerism, marketing and their overall influence on Ryerson Students. I did so by analyzing the results from a survey I created on Survey Monkey which I distributed amongst my network of Ryerson Students. I also converted the results into percentages to identify any common themes. Furthermore, after comparing the results from my survey to my peer reviewed sources, I was able to find connections between the two. Many of the influencers listed in the response from my participants are "micro celebrities" which is a term I came across while conducting my research. According to the articles in a journal article, users deem the influencers credible if they follow a particular criteria of online behaviour and self-presentation (Djafarova and Trofimenko, 2017). This is relevant to my research because it shows that companies use social media influencers or “micro-celebrities” over traditional celebrities to cut costs and appeal to their consumers by marketing the influencer as an average person. The idea of having an influencer who is relatable to the target audience will help drive sales.

Additionally, Katheryn Bell used the social comparison theory in her survey where she concluded that almost two thirds of her respondents stated they compared themselves to what they saw in social media; most likely including images portraying the unattainable beauty standards in society (Bell, 2016). This showcases that the majority of individuals compare themselves to the unrealistic beauty standards they view on social media. What I found the most shocking was that this idea of comparing oneself with an influencer translates to daily life and our network. In Bell’s research, she found that 80 percent of her subjects claimed they compare themselves to their friends and their friends’ images which supports the comparison theory in relation to comparing oneself to peers (Bell, 2016). Perhaps the reason why many of my participants do not purchase products promoted by their favourite celebrity or influencer is due to the unrealistic beauty standards such as retouching of photos and they are well informed about the advertising industry.