Are influencers more influential? Social endorsement and memory on social media

The present research examined the mnemonic consequences of social endorsement in the form of followers and likes. In four studies, participants were presented with simulated social media posts associated with high and low levels of social endorsement. In Studies 1 and 2, participants read tweets about COVID-19 (Study 1; N = 199) and Facebook status updates about positive and negative personal events (Study 2, N = 159) posted by users with large or small numbers of followers. In Studies 3 and 4, participants read the posts (tweets in Study 3, N = 158; Facebook status updates in Study 4, N = 177) that received large or small numbers of likes. Across all studies, regardless of cultural background and social conformity tendency, social endorsement did not affect memory performance for posted information: Although participants rated profiles with greater social endorsement as more popular, trustworthy, likable, and attractive, they remembered the posted information associated with high and low levels of social endorsement similarly. Participants better remembered negative information (Studies 2 and 4) and information posted by more likable users (Studies 1 and 3). The findings suggest that social endorsement alone, while influencing the perception of profile owners, does not enhance the memorability of the associated information.