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This paper deals with two types of educational reform related to teaching and learning the traditional school subject of social studies. First, we consider the importance of teaching about controversial issues by examining the impact of Hurricane Katrina, the record-setting, natural disaster, which struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in late August 2005. Using this episode as their foundation, the authors demonstrate how the common practice of avoiding controversy within the social studies arena can be addressed. Since Katrina represents a topic for which no warrant exists within state standards for teaching the subject, it can be considered a true “teachable moment”. Second, we analyze a case study involving the use of technology to spark discussion relative to the issues of race and class tied to Katrina, primarily for the two-year period after the hurricane struck. While the use of digital technology has been slow to gain popularity in the field of social studies, the authors use the case study to demonstrate how it can be utilized to generate democratic dialogue and civic engagement.

Drawing on source credibility theory, this study aims to explore the relationship between influencers’ characteristics and followers’ well-being through followers’ stickiness to influencers’ channels or posts.

The authors gathered data through an online survey of 450 followers. The proposed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling.

Results reveal that trustworthiness and physical attractiveness positively affect followers’ stickiness to influencers, while the influence of expertise is not evident. Stickiness has positive impacts on both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The findings also show that stickiness mediates the relationships between physical attractiveness and trustworthiness toward both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to explore the impact of influencers’ characteristics on followers’ stickiness to influencer webpages. The findings contribute to transformative service research and the theory of stickiness by deepening the understanding of how influencer characteristics contribute to followers’ well-being through the effect of users’ stickiness.