Time Travels on Instagram: A Longitudinal Investigation of Parasocial Interaction With a Historical Person and the Impact on Followers' Morality

Increasingly, reenacted representations of historical figures can be found on social media aiming to make the past more tangible. Here, producers employ a first-person perspective which is known for fostering the experience of parasocial interaction (PSI). Following the assumption that social interactions promote the development of empathy and moral orientation, we ask whether continuous PSI with a historical person on Instagram affects the followers' empathy and moral orientation as it offers novel, unique insights into the past. We conducted a longitudinal investigation with two measurement time points (Nt1 = 239; Nt2 = 89) asking actual followers of a German historical Instagram account (@ichbinsophiescholl) about their interaction with the historical figure on Instagram, empathy, and moral orientation. In line with the assumption, results showed that the followers' interaction (e.g., liking, commenting) with the historical figure was positively related to the experience of PSI. Furthermore, we found positive relationships between PSI and empathy, as well as moral orientation. The long-term analysis indicated that following a historical figure over time can affect the followers' empathy when frequently interacting. Public Policy Relevance Statement The study with two measurement points examines the influence of the engagement with historical persons on social media on the values of the users using the example of a German historical channel of the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl in the Second World War. The study takes into account, on the one hand, the actual interaction of users with the portrayal of the historical person on social media and, on the other hand, influences of the users' empathy.