Exploring Authenticity Strategies of Virtual Influencers: Parasociality and Human Connection

Abstract

A fundamental aspect of social media influencers (SMIs) is their parasociality with followers. Initially used to describe one-sided relationships between viewers of television and TV personalities, parasociality has permeated the digital media landscape of the web 2.0 era (Andrejevic & Volcic, 2024), where SMIs develop intimate connections with fans by leveraging two-way interactions. According to Balaban and Szambolics (2022), SMIs depend on being perceived as authentic given that they perform to a mass following - often thousands or millions. In line with recent technological innovations concerning AI content generation, face filters, and 3D modeling software, the emergence of Virtual Influencers (VIs) is already well documented (Dondapati & Dehuri, 2024; Guo et al. 2025; Malik & Singh, 2025; Molin & Nordgren, 2019; Zhang et al. 2024). This study applies a thematic analysis to the content strategies of VIs on Instagram to assess their attempts to develop an authentic media presence in the age of AI content generation. Using a thematic analysis, I sampled the Instagram feeds of up to six popular VIs including Lil Miquela and Imma. Transparency emerged as the dominant approach VIs use when presenting themselves to social media users. VIs with an established following appeared to incorporate transparency-based self-presentation strategies in an attempt to override inauthenticity. Finally, the adherence to existing industrial norms of presenting female bodies that lack imperfections may, according to Roy (2023), “inevitably sustain harmful beauty ideals that can adversely affect the mental and emotional wellness of numerous individuals” (p. 9).