PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, SOCIAL COMPARISON, AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENTS FOLLOWING FAMILY VLOGGERS

Abstract

The study explored the influence of parasocial relationships and social comparison on identity development among adolescents who follow family vloggers in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that parasocial relationships and social comparison would positively predict the diffuse, unhealthy development of identity, and that social comparison would mediate the relationship between parasocial relationships and identity development. The sample included 150 adolescents aged 12–18 years (M=14.45; SD=1.62) recruited through purposive sampling from academic institutions. A correlational research design was employed. Data were collected using three standardized tools: the Parasocial Relationships in Social Media Scale (PRISM), the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM), and the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence–Short (AIDA-S). Statistical analyses included reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis. Results revealed significant positive correlations between parasocial relationships and (diffused) identity development, particularly identity incoherence. Social comparison of opinions and identification with family vloggers predicted identity discontinuity, while social comparison of abilities and interests in the lives of family vloggers predicted identity incoherence. Mediation analysis further showed that the comparison of ability significantly mediated the relationship between the subscales (knowledge about family vloggers and interaction with the family vloggers) of parasocial relationships with vloggers and identity development.