DefinePK

Abstract

Influencers on social media play a crucial role in shaping users’ participation and effective experiences online. This study investigates the impact of engaging with influencers for fun on happiness, with a focus on the indirect effect of escape and the direct effect of the need to belong. The study uses Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) on a sample of 300 social media users to investigate the links between fun, escape, the need to belong, and happiness. The findings show that the need to belong strongly influences both escape and happiness, while fun has a favorable influence on escape, which in turn increases happiness. The results underscore the importance of escaping as a vital psychological pathway to strengthen the relationship of fun-based influencer connection to happiness. By examining how digital connections meet emotional demands, this study contributes to the expanding body of research on social media psychology. Practical results indicate that contributing to belonging, inclusive and actual participation indicates that influential people and platforms of social networks can increase their satisfaction with users. Future research can examine how different kinds of content impact the user's experience and the long-term effects of happiness.