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The Potential for Victimization of Underage Female Instagram Influencers: An Examination Using Routine Activities Theory

Protas, Michelle
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9781-2456
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712916282223248

Abstract Details

2024, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice.
Social media (e.g., Instagram) has become a significant part of the daily lives of many people. Used for individual photograph and video content creation and distribution, Instagram allows users to connect with individuals across the world. While Instagram has age-restriction policies requiring users to be 13 years of age or older, it is commonplace for parents to run an underage user’s Instagram account, for underage users to claim parental representation, or for underage accounts to slip through Instagram’s age restriction policies. Photos of young girls can often garner negative and/or sexualized attention, specifically from adult men. The sexualization of young girls is further compounded by the entertainment industry and the growing concept of social media influencers, who are content creators with authority and sway over large audiences that represent a unique version of celebrity. The growing popularity of underage influencers has resulted in adults, specifically adult males, viewing pictures and videos of young girls. While not all viewership of child female Instagram influencers can be considered victimization, the current study expands on existing social media cybervictimization research by characterizing the viewership of sexualized child content by adult men as a gateway to potential future victimization of these children. Using routine activities theory, the current study examined the convergence of potential victims (underage female influencers), potential offenders (adult male Instagram followers), and a lack of capable guardianship (lack of parental monitoring or the perception of parental monitoring). This theoretical framework was used to assess if parental monitoring of underage female influencers’ profiles was associated with a reduced percentage of adult male Instagram followers relative to profiles without parental monitoring. A sample of n = 950 female Instagram influencers 17 years of age or younger was constructed using an AI-powered analytics and discovery tool (HypeAuditor). Bivariate regression analyses indicated that influencer profiles with apparent parental guardianship had about 8% fewer adult male followers than profiles without guardianship. In multivariable OLS regression analyses (which controlled for an audience quality score, number of followers, and the age and race of the influencer) the difference was about 2% but the association was not statistically significant. Two supplemental analyses were also conducted focusing on Instagram influencers 13 years of age or older and audience quality score by category. Overall, the analyses indicated that while apparent parental guardianship of underage influencers’ profiles impacted the proportion of adult male followers – and therefore gateways to potential online victimization – it did not appear as impactful as the age of the influencer. Additionally, influencers with a low audience quality score (those with lower levels of engagement and more fraudulent followers) had almost 8% fewer adult male followers compared to influencers who were not monitored by their parents and can be considered an area of concern when examining the potential for victimization of this population. Implications of the current study are discussed, including children’s access to technology and the potential for future victimization of children accessing social media platforms.
Joseph Nedelec, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Erica Fissel, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
John Eck, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Leah Butler, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
105 p.
Criminology
cybervictimization; routine activities theory; criminology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Protas, M. (2024). The Potential for Victimization of Underage Female Instagram Influencers: An Examination Using Routine Activities Theory [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712916282223248

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Protas, Michelle. The Potential for Victimization of Underage Female Instagram Influencers: An Examination Using Routine Activities Theory. 2024. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712916282223248.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Protas, Michelle. "The Potential for Victimization of Underage Female Instagram Influencers: An Examination Using Routine Activities Theory." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712916282223248

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1712916282223248
166
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12