Intimate Vlog Viewing and Psychological Well-being: The Roles of Parasocial Relationships and the Need to Belong

Abstract

Drawing on the literature of vlog and media psychology, this study proposes that vlog as an interactive media application changes how people connect with media personae and in turn, may affect people’s psychological well-being. Possible mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation were also explored to gain a better understanding of vlog use. Specifically, it is assumed that perceived interactivity and perceive self-disclosure via vloggers foster parasocial relationships with vloggers and in turn, can positively affect psychological well-being by increasing perceived social support and social capital and buffering against loneliness. Moreover, this indirect relation between intimate vlog viewing and psychological well-being through parasocial relationships will vary as a function of the need to belong. The proposed moderated mediation model in this study was examined with a survey of 335 current vlog users in English-speaking countries.

Results indicated that firstly intimate vlog viewing (perceived interactivity, perceived self-disclosure via vloggers) positively predicts an increase of perceived social support and social capital in viewers, but fails to decrease loneliness. Second, both perceived interactivity and perceived self-disclosure via vloggers have a positive effect on parasocial relationships. Third, parasocial relationships were found to be mediating the relation between intimate vlog viewing and psychological well-being. Fourth, the study found that the need to belong only moderates the second stage of the mediation process, namely the path from parasocial relationships to perceived social support and social capital.

This research provides empirical contributions to a better understanding of the effect of vlog use by applying the theory of parasocial relationships and the need to belong to the study of the relation between intimate vlog viewing and psychological health. Intimate vlog viewing can positively influence people’s psychological well-being by fostering parasocial relationships between vloggers. According to different levels of the need to belong, people will engage in intimate vlog viewing to different degrees and will be affected by this behavior to varying degrees. It has provided an insight that will be helpful for people in utilizing vlog to satisfy different needs and improve psychological states. The implications and limitations have been discussed.