Reception and Processing of Content on Social Media : "Effects" of Personalization and Parasocial Relationships by Voters

On social media, political actors' communication is specific. Not only can they communicate whenever they wish (Larsson, 2016), but they often present themselves in a more personal way (Vergeer et al., 2013), encouraging the creation of positive affective parasocial relationships with voters (Lee and Jang, 2013). Such an evolution in political communication has significant democratic implications. Indeed, while the personalization of political actors encourages a more direct connection with receivers, it raises concerns about the quality of political information. For instance, personalization may lead to a reduction in information related to political arguments and ideas, with voters focusing more on candidates' style or "attractive packaging" rather than their political competence (Adam and Maier, 2010 ; Langer, 2010). This research attempts to address this gap through 19 semi-structured interviews analyzed using thematic content analysis (Naeem et al., 2023). The interviews were conducted in person, face-to-face, with the help of a theoretically based interview guide. The profiles of the respondents are diverse: 5 students, 9 employed individuals, 3 retirees, and 2 unemployed. The sample consists of 12 men and 7 women, with 8 from rural areas and 11 from urban areas. The average age is 38 years. All participants live in France in different geographic regions and hold different political views. The average interview duration is 74 minutes (minimum duration: 29 minutes, maximum duration: 3 hours). The saturation point of the survey, an important validity criterion, was reached during the 14th interview. The study was conducted between January 20, 2024, and April 24, 2024. This study, with a theoretical framework based on the formation of parasocial relationships, political content processing (Petty and Cacioppo, 1986), and impression formation (Anderson, 1971), presents three main findings. Receivers assess political actors primarily based on three evaluation criteria: (criterion A) the representation of the personal and political attributes of the political actor, (criterion B) the perceived relationship between the political actor and voters, and (criterion C) the perception of the political role by the receiver. Depending on the prioritization and the degree of importance assigned to these three evaluation criteria, voters can be categorized into three groups, each processing political content differently. Firstly, Emotionally engaged (1) perceive personalization as a means to connect with political actors and humanize them. They engage emotionally and view such content positively, enhancing feelings of sympathy, proximity, and fostering a positive affective parasocial relationship. Secondly, conversely, Institutional conservatives (2) see personalization as a threat to the solemnity of the political role, perceiving it as a desacralizing factor that undermines the credibility of political actors. They strongly reject parasocial relationships. Thirdly, Distant pragmatists (3) express indifference towards personalization and parasocial relationships, considering them as a strategy with no added value to political content. Thus, while some see personalization as an opportunity to strengthen the affective parasocial bond with political actors, others interpret these strategies as a devaluation of the political function and a threat to democracy. The limitations and theoretical implications of this study will be presented orally.