People who support, believe in, or regularly pay attention to someone, such as a leader, celebrity, or online personality.
From Old English 'folgere,' a Germanic root meaning 'to go after' or 'pursue,' literally describing someone who goes behind another person, evolving to mean supporters or believers.
On social media, your 'followers' are literally following you—the word hasn't changed its meaning in 1,000 years, just the medium: once it meant people walking behind you, now it means people watching your posts!
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