2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Impact of Social Media Engagement on Trust and Influence

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-15-2025

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Shikhar Sarin

Abstract

Objective: Social media plays a significant role in shaping consumer behavior, with platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), Facebook, and Snapchat influencing consumer behavior. This study aims to explore how social media influencers impact daily habits and perceptions of gender and age groups differently. As social media (and influencers) serve as a primary source of information for many users, and therefore understanding their effects is essential in its influence on consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Methodology: This study uses a cross-sectional, quantitative survey methodology. All respondents voluntarily provided answers to the survey through the survey design platform, Qualtrics.

Sample: We received completed surveys from 220 respondents. 56.8% of our respondents were between the ages of 18 and 34, but our respondents’ ages varied from 18-65+. Additionally, 60% of our respondents were women and 31.4% were males, 34.5% of our respondents were married and 53.6% were single. Regarding education, 27.7% of respondents had a higher education (a completed college degree or higher), and 64.1% had lower education levels (some college or less).

Analysis: We analyzed the data using SPSS statistical software and conducted Independent Samples T-tests.

Key Findings: Our results suggest significant relationships between social media usage behaviors, trust, and influencer interactions across demographic groups. All results were statistically significant.

  • Marital Status: Single individuals spend more time on social media per day and interact with more influencers compared to married individuals. Single individuals also trust influencers more and are more likely to have their perceptions changed by influencer promotions. Married individuals perceive their feeds to be more biased.
  • Education Level: Higher-educated respondents seek more sources outside social media for news, perceive their feeds as more biased, and engage with fewer influencers per day. Lower-educated individuals spend more time on social media per day and rely more on social media for information.
  • Age: Older respondents are more skeptical of social media and are more likely to seek external sources. Younger respondents engage with more influencers.
  • Gender: Women spend more time on social media per day and interact with more influences. Women believe influencers are honest but trust them less than men do. However, women are more influenced by influencer promotions than men. This contradiction suggests that women approach social media with more caution but can balance skepticism and susceptibility to influencer persuasion. This indicates women have a more complex relationship with social media.
  • Time Spent on Social Media: Increased social media usage correlates with higher engagement with influencers. This reinforces the expected pattern that more time spent on social media leads to greater exposure to influencer-driven content.

These findings highlight demographic differences in social media usage, which emphasize the role of age, gender, marital status, and education in shaping these behaviors while following logical trends of media consumption and trust dynamics.

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