ArticlePloS one2025
Attachment beyond the screen: The influences of demographic factors and parasocial relationships on social media use in Qatar.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Parasocial Engagement With Social Media Influencers and Mental Health Outcomes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR mental health · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMost studies on social media usage and parasocial relationships (PSRs) have been conducted in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies, potentially overlooking the unique cultural, social, and economic factors present in non-WEIRD contexts. Examining these phenomena in a non-WEIRD setting is essential for a comprehensive understanding of social media's global impact.
methodsSecondary data from 574 participants in Qatar who followed Instagram influencers were analyzed using Bayesian analyses aided by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to examine the relationships between social media usage time, PSRs, and demographic factors.
findingsThe analysis results show that, regarding linear effects, a stronger parasocial relationship with Instagram influencer(s) is associated with higher daily social media usage time. Meanwhile, being male, being older, and having higher incomes all have negative associations with daily social media usage time. When parasocial relationships and the three demographic factors are seen in their interactions, negative associations with social media usage were also found in a similar pattern. To elaborate, among those with high parasocial relationship degrees, females, young people, and poor people tend to use social media for more hours each day.
conclusionsThis study highlights that demographic factors such as gender, age, and income in their interactions with parasocial relationships are associated with social media usage time within the non-WEIRD social context of Qatar. The findings underscore the necessity of considering the specific local cultural settings when studying social media behaviors.
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