Influencer content consumption: emotional uses and perceived consequences among LGBTQ+ and heterosexual youth

Abstract Influencer content consumption extends beyond mere entertainment and has become a leading communicative environment shaping the emotional and social experiences of adolescents and young people. This study analyses the relationship between the frequency of influencer-content consumption, emotionally oriented motivations for use, and perceived self-perceptive and relational consequences among adolescents and young people. It specifically considers the intersection of sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and non-normative) and age. Using a quantitative cross-sectional methodology based on a questionnaire administered through an online panel to 1800 adolescents and young people aged 14–24 living in Spain, the study identifies differences in consumption patterns and their implications for emotional development and digital communication during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Univariate and bivariate analyses, together with correlational and regression models, were used to examine associations between consumption frequency, emotionally oriented motivations, and perceived self-perceptive and relational consequences. Higher concentrations of reported adverse self-perceptive and relational consequences were detected among bisexual and homosexual participants and among those classified in the non-normative sexual orientation group, particularly in relation to social comparison and stronger orientation towards mediated interaction. The findings further suggest that the association between consumption frequency and perceived consequences becomes more pronounced when consumption is linked to emotionally oriented motivations such as seeking companionship or coping with personal difficulties. The study examines how intensive influencer-content consumption is associated with digital well-being experiences across adolescence and young adulthood.