Platform: How Parasocial Relationships Formed Through Social Media Affect Donations in the Nonprofit Sector
Date
2023-08-11
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MASEM, The University of Tampa
Abstract
This work aims to answer the question of how parasocial relationships formed through social media affect donations in the nonprofit sector. Parasocial relationships are defined as a psychological phenomenon, with the term being coined in 1956 (Oxford Reference, 2023). When discussing social media platforms as a whole and the potential for a parasocial relationship to be formed, repeated parasocial interactions can lead to a stronger parasocial relationship overall (Thelwall, 2022). Meaning that social media has allowed for parasocial relationships to be created with a new sense of speed and ease. While past research has stated that parasocial relationships have a direct impact on an audience or individuals purchase intentions (Um, 2022), there is little to no research on how the effect of the relationship differs when audiences are encouraged to give to organizations where they receive nothing in return. In order to answer this question and provide context and understanding when discussing how these relationships play a role in donation habits a mixed method approach was taken utilizing both a survey and in-depth interviews to better understand the effect of said relationships. Through this research one is able to conclude that parasocial relationships formed through social media positively and directly affect donations in the nonprofit sector. The importance of this research is two-fold, nonprofit organizations can better understand the types of individuals most affected by parasocial relationships as well as the varying degrees of affect the parasocial relationships have on an audience or individual when giving. This research does not take into account the possible denial of parasocial relationships by the audience. Future research and the nonprofit sector could benefit from exploring how actions encouraged by parasocial relationships change when the relationship is conscious or subconscious.
Description
Capstone for the completion of a Master of Arts in Social and Emerging Media (MASEM)
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Keywords
Parasocial, Social media, Nonprofit, Donations, Relationships, Social media platforms