Parasocial Bonds in Influencer Comments: A Qualitative Analysis of Follower Comments on YouTube

Abstract

With the expansion of digital media, social media platforms have transformed not only communication technologies but also the relational dynamics between content producers and audiences. Among these platforms, YouTube provides an interaction environment that is both continuous and visible through its video-based narrative structure and comment sections. Drawing on the concepts of parasocial interaction and parasocial identification, this study aims to examine how parasocial relationships are discursively constructed in follower comments on influencer videos. The research adopts a qualitative interpretive content analysis. The dataset consists of approximately 500 publicly available comments posted under 25 videos produced by five Turkish YouTube influencers focusing on personal development, everyday life and subjective experiences. The findings indicate that followers frequently position influencers as emotionally close figures through metaphors of familiarity and family membership, “safe space” narratives and expressions of everyday companionship. In addition, parasocial identification is constructed through role model attribution, perceived similarity and narratives of behavioral change. The results demonstrate that YouTube comment sections function not merely as feedback mechanisms but as multi-layered interaction spaces where emotional attachment, identification, guidance seeking and critical negotiation are simultaneously produced. In this respect, the study contributes to the reconceptualization of parasocial relationships as relational practices that are collectively constructed and made visible within digital discourse, beyond individual-level experiences.