A study of social media influencer’s coping techniques towards online hate

Lloyd, Katie 2025. A study of social media influencer’s coping techniques towards online hate. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This study seeks to explore the phenomenon of Social Media Influencer Directed Online Hate (SMIDOH); conceptualising how social media influencers (SMIs) perceive, experience and cope with this increasingly pervasive issue within the digital ecosystem. Situated within the field of influencer marketing, this thesis aims to address three central research questions: How do SMIs perceive online hate; does SMI status (Nano, Micro, Macro and Mega) affect how they experience online hate; and, what coping strategies are employed in response to it? Adopting a multi-method qualitative approach, this study combines immersive and interactive netnography to gather rich, in-depth data from across the SMI ecosystem, including 25 fashion, beauty and lifestyle SMIs, 5 brand managers and 5 SMI agents. The key theoretical contributions of this thesis reveal that the perceptions of SMIDOH are highly subjective and shaped by several factors, including follower count, platform norms, and personal identity. Notably, SMIs across different classifications experience varying types and severities of SMIDOH, which in turn, significantly impact their wellbeing and informs their coping responses. Thus, this study develops Bacarella et al.’s (2018) Dark Side of Social Media Typology by proposing a novel typology of SMIDOH that maps severity of threat against SMI classification. Secondly, drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, the thesis introduces a new conceptual framework that theorises how SMIs cope with SMIDOH. For instance, Macro and Mega SMIs often commercialise SMIDOH, leveraging antagonism as a means to reassert control over a destabilised narrative. While Nano and Micro SMIs tend to adopt emotionally grounded coping techniques such as blocking or reasoning. Overall, this research contributes to broader conversations around digital labour, emotional resilience in online environments and offers practical insights for SMI management, mental health advocacy and social media policy development.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Funders:	Julian Hodge Foundation
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 May 2026
Last Modified:	19 May 2026 14:42
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187029

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