Research project DSS - Political influence online: The power of Digital Social Signals Print Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Send by email This project has received funding via the EUI ESR call 2025, dedicated to Early Stage Researchers, with the contribution of the EUI Widening Europe Programme. The EUI Widening Europe Programme initiative, backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in Widening countries, and thus foster a more cohesive European Higher Education and Research area. How does political influence work online? Existing literature attributes the influence of social media accounts to the celebrity status of parasocial relationships, while overlooking a key component: the reactions of others. This project argues that social cues conveyed through Digital Social Signals condition parasocial influence. To test this, we propose an experimental rating game where followers rate political statements by parasocial actors. By controlling the publicity and order of the rating, we experimentally vary the direction and exposure to the signals. We posit that online political power does not lie with digital actors, but with and among followers.