Parasocial Relationships and Repeated Viewing of YouTube and TV Channels: A Mediated Moderated Framework

Abstract

With the increasing penetration of the internet and modern entertainment-related technologies, there is a shift and surge in media usage behavior. Owing to the gravity of this issue, the researchers probed the predictors of audiences' repeated usage of certain media, i.e., TV and YouTube channels. Moreover, they explored the mediating influence of parasocial relationships on the relationship between media addiction and repeated usage. They also studied the moderation of emotional engagement on the relationship between media addiction and parasocial relationships. The nature of this study is cross-sectional and descriptive. A total of 400 participants were approached via convenience sampling and were requested to fill the questionnaires. However, the researchers received only 325 complete responses. Therefore, the data analysis via the PLS-SEM approach was performed on 325 responses. This assessment was done on the measurement model as well as the structural model. The results of the study revealed that TV channel addiction among the respondents tends to result in parasocial relationships. Moreover, the moderation of parasocial relationships and mediation of emotional engagement were also found to be significant in the case of TV channels. On the contrary, the results did not reveal a significant relationship between YouTube channel addiction and parasocial relationships. Additionally, the moderation of parasocial relationships and mediation of emotional engagement were also not found significant. A more detailed result is presented in the corresponding sections, and future directions are also provided.