Like and Subscribe: Perceptions of High School Students on Social Media Influencers

Abstract

Social Media Influencers have dominated the internet for a long time, with eye-catching content that people are fond of. To be one is to be considered a person of credibility and status, being paid huge amounts depending on the growth of their status as an influencer. The goal of this study is to determine how students perceive different Social Media Influencers and the impact on students. Descriptive cross-sectional design was chosen with Stratified Random Sampling for it allowed the researchers to get data from smaller groups from divided population. The study was conducted within the campus of St. Mary's College Quezon City during the school year 2019–2020. The comprehensive survey was given to students from Grades 7 to 12. Pilot testing was given beforehand to validate the efficiency of the questionnaire's delivery of instructions. Out of the 172 respondents, 138 students (80%) are following a Social Media Influencer, which are mostly YouTubers (46%). They chose 'relatability' (43%) as the biggest appeal and the 'spread of misinformation (34%) as the biggest downside. Students revealed that they are most influenced by a Social Media Influencer's Choice of Products (34%). Study shows that students are fond of content creators whom they can relate with and see as their own friends, which is the uniqueness of being a Social Media Influencer. Although they see being an influencer as appealing, they are aware of its downside of possibly spreading misinformation because of Social Media’s accessibility and the instantaneous methods it provides.