Narrating for whom? Negotiating proper distance in sponsored narratives of therapeutic experiences in the platformized influencer economy

As online therapy services increasingly rely on social media platforms and influencers for advertising, this study interrogates influencers’ sponsored narratives of therapeutic experience. Through an illustrative case of Glowe , a leading Chinese counseling platform whose marketing campaign invited influencers to share therapeutic experiences on Weibo, this study draws on Silverstone's concept of “proper distance” to analyze how Glowe 's influencers represented psychological vulnerability and contributed to the relational power dynamics within the platformized influencer economy. The analysis reveals an ambivalent yet failed construction of “proper distance.” Influencer narratives were simultaneously “too far,” presenting homogenized and simplified stories of self-realization, and “too close,” commodifying vulnerabilities as spectacle for audience engagement. Driven by intertwining commercial imperatives of the platform, sponsor, and influencers, such narratives outsource the moral responsibility “for the Others” onto commercial services. This study highlights the moral challenges of mental health representations when power and profit motives entangle within the platformized influencer economy.