A person who follows or supports another person, idea, or movement. In social media, someone who subscribes to another user's content.
Old English 'folgere' from 'folgian' (to follow), from Proto-Germanic 'fulg-'. The social media sense emerged in the 2000s with platforms like Twitter.
The word follower has transformed from describing physical pursuit to digital subscription, reflecting how technology reshapes ancient concepts of leadership and community into new forms of social connection.
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