Yes they do manipulate them into being active on social media, among other ways by faking having private messages with them, which of course they will talk abou

Yes they do manipulate them into being active on social media, among other ways by faking having private messages with them, which of course they will talk about on their circles: "Within the past few years, the industry has pioneered a new way to monetize fans’ emotional needs by creating dedicated mobile apps, such as Bubble and Universe, that simulate private messaging between idols and fans." https://www.nngroup.com/articles/kpop-private-messaging/ https://www.nngroup.com/articles/kpop-private-messaging/