Benjamin Johnson

Influencers are semi-professional “microcelebrities” who gain followings on various social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Often sponsored by brands to promote their products, influencers offer a range of message reliability when it comes to their carefully crafted lifestyles, personalities, and interests. As the use and importance of social…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, and doctoral candidate Susanna Lee, are the co-authors of “Are They Being Authentic? The Effects of Self-Disclosure and Message Sidedness on Sponsored Post Effectiveness” published in the International Journal of Advertising on Oct. 11. Lee, the lead…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is quoted in “How Trying to Avoid Spoilers in 2021 Became Futile” published on IGN.com on June 25. The article focuses on “spoilers” that reveal the endings of popular programs and movies and how they have become more difficult to…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications faculty and doctoral students are the recipients of top paper awards from the 2021 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Advertising Division Research Paper competitions. Advertising Assistant Professor Benjamin Johnson, Associate Professor Cynthia Morton, and retired Professor Emeritus Jon…

Does social media use lead to greater life satisfaction or self-esteem? Does it lead to better moods? When does social media use lead to positive or negative emotional responses? It is a well-known perspective that social media is bad for one’s self-esteem and overall mental well-being. But existing evidence for…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, CJC doctoral students Susanna Lee and Ben Vollmer and Cen April Yue, Ph.D. 2020, are the authors of “Impartial Endorsements: Influencer and Celebrity Declarations of Non-Sponsorship and Honesty” published in Computers in Human Behavior on May 6. The authors studied…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is the author of “Look Up, Look Down: Articulating Inputs and Outputs of Social Media Social Comparison” published in the Journal of Communication Technology in March 2021. According to Johnson, “Computer-mediated social comparisons have been identified as a…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is a co-author of “Stories Enlarge the Experience of Self: Evidence for the Temporarily Expanded Boundaries of the Self (TEBOTS) Model, a chapter in the book The Oxford Handbook of Entertainment Theory to be published by Oxford University…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is a co-author of “Overcoming Challenges and Leveraging Opportunities” published in Media Psychology on Jan. 25. Johnson, Sun Joo Ahn, Marina Krcmar and Leonard Reinecke, the new editors of the publication from 2021 to 2024, reflect on…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is quoted in “Spoiler Alert: Spoilers Can Be Good for Business” published on Morning Consult on Dec. 22. The article focuses on entertainment programming spoilers. Many viewers seek them out to help them decide whether or not…

The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused anxiety and stress in most people, but college students specifically have had to learn to cope with uncertainty and upheaval from their normal routine. This emotional rollercoaster has caused an increase in general media consumption as those effected by the pandemic seek ways to…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is the co-author of “Media for Coping During COVID-19 Social Distancing: Stress, Anxiety and Psychological Well-Being” published in Frontiers in Psychology on Nov. 10. Johnson, Allison Eden, Leonard Reinecke and Sara Grady, using data from a cross-sectional…