Virtual companions on social media: exploring user relationships with virtual fashion influencers (opens in new tab)

Para-social interaction (PSI) refers to the illusory relationships between media characters and users and has been studied recently. However, the digital era necessitates a contemporary exploration of PSI in the context of emerging media forms. This study examines PSI between virtual fashion influencers (VFIs) and Instagram users, guided by actor-network theory (ANT) and a review of the literature. We apply four core segments of ANT—problematisation, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation...