Users’ Emotional Attachments to Internet Celebrities: Based on the Perspective of Extended-self

Although previous researcher has focused on the use of social media between celebrities and fans from the use and gratification perspective, knowledge on why users stick with live streaming is limited. Therefore, the authors propose that sticking with live streaming reflects a strong connection between celebrities and users. We define emotional attachment as the strength of the cognitive and emotional bond connecting the celebrities with the self. Consequently, in this study, we adopt attachment theory to investigate users’ tendency to stick with live streaming from the extended-self perspective. The findings of this study fully support the hypotheses specifying the relationships between constructs. Emotional attachment was influenced by gratifying the self, enriching the self and enabling the self, and which in turn are strong predictors of users’ stickiness intention. The current research contributes to the further expansion of social media research and applied attachment theory into the live streaming context