Communication Between Lifestyle Influencers and Audiences on Social Media: Generation Z in Lebanon

Social media influencers have become important actors in contemporary digital communication. Through the presentation of products, lifestyles, identities, and social norms, they can shape how audiences interpret and evaluate everyday life, consumption, and self-presentation. Previous research has primarily examined influencer credibility, parasocial relationships, engagement, and advertising effectiveness, while more recent scholarship has increasingly addressed the ethical, psychological, and social risks associated with influencer culture. In particular, research has raised concerns about perceived authenticity, sponsorship transparency, social comparison, and the representation of idealized lifestyles. This study examines the communicative relationship between social media influencers and members of Generation Z in Lebanon. It focuses on whether and how influencer content is perceived to contribute to social pressure, unrealistic expectations, negative self-perceptions, and doubts about digital authenticity. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines a quantitative survey of 66 respondents aged 19–28 with three qualitative interviews. The analysis explores participants’ levels of trust, emotional attachment, engagement, perceived influencer impact, and attitudes toward influencer responsibility, transparency, and sponsorship disclosure. The findings suggest that, although many respondents maintain a relatively emotionally distant relationship with influencers, three-quarters perceive influencer content as promoting unrealistic lifestyles, and about a quarter say it leads them to compare themselves with influencers. For some respondents, these perceptions are linked to concerns about self-image and self-worth. At the same time, respondents express strong expectations that influencers should disclose commercial relationships more clearly and assume greater ethical responsibility for the content they publish. However, the results also indicate that influencer influence is not deterministic. Participants demonstrate a degree of critical awareness, although almost a third report having bought products they did not need because of influencer recommendations. Overall, the study highlights the complex relationship between digital exposure, perceived authenticity, psychological responses, and audience agency. It contributes to research on influencer culture by suggesting that Generation Z audiences are neither passive recipients nor entirely unaffected observers, but actively negotiate the credibility, intentions, and social consequences of influencer communication.