Buying Followers: A Theoretical Exploration of Social Media Virality and Authenticity

Introduction In the digital age, social media platforms have become the modern arena for social validation, influence, and commerce. A pervasive yet controversial practice within this ecosystem is “buying followers,” often referred to in Persian as “خرید فالوور” (kharid follower). This involves purchasing artificial or low-quality follower accounts to inflate one’s follower count artificially. Platforms […]