Content creator-follower relations in digital culture: Construction of authority and role models

This research examines the relationship between content creators and followers in a time when the effects of social structures on interpersonal relationships are eroding. The reciprocal nature of this relationship bears the traces of transformations in role modeling and authority structures and leads to a new form of relationship. The creator becomes a role model by using his/her authority over the follower, while the follower interacts with the creator in a reflexive way. Understanding the nature of this relationship and the mutual perceptions in the relationship holds an opportunity to understand the changes in authority and role model structures. For this purpose, a phenomenological approach was adopted and the research was conducted with 5 content creators and 587 followers of these content creators. Thematic content analyses were conducted in interviews with content creators selected through maximum diversity sampling. The findings discuss the nature of content creation, what the relationship with the follower means for the creator and the effects of the creator on the follower. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted in the surveys conducted with followers selected through purposive sampling, and the Scale of Viewing the Creator as a Role Model was created. Quantitative analyses allowed for comparisons between traditional role models and content creators. The micro and macro results of the combined research are discussed within the framework of the concepts of latent authority and third persona. The relationship between creator and follower reveals changes in traditional notions of authority and role modeling. Keywords: Content creator, Follower, Role model, Authority, Social media.