“Men vad fan ska vi göra? Vi vet ju inte, så därför följer vi folk för att förstå vad vi vill.”

Sammanfattning: This study intends to give a further understanding of the phenomenon of influencers, and how the structures of social media affect young women on a daily basis. With empirical data gathered by netnographic observations and in person interviews I hope to give an understanding of the experienced emotions of interactions with social media influencers on Instagram. Presenting theories of celebrity, identity, parasocial relationships, consumerism culture, commodification and social capital my goal is to create an understanding of the struggles that come with being a young woman, navigating in a challenging social media landscape. Already conducted research regarding influencers and social media tend to focus on a commercialized view of the whole topic. Often it circulates around effects of marketing, the likelihood of purchase as a result of marketing and how the authenticity of an influencer will affect the potential consumer. In a constantly evolving media landscape, it can be a challenge to adapt and remain critical to marketing and influence from profiles and companies with carefully developed strategies. My informants show proof of how it sometimes can be difficult to separate opinions from facts, and how much of a struggle the everyday scrolling of Instagram can offer. By using qualitative methods, I intend to focus on the lived experiences of four young women who are exposed to lifestyle influencers on social media.