Another look at ‘being there’ experiences in digital media: Exploring connections of telepresence with mental imagery

•A critical review provides justification of the role mental imagery plays in telepresence.•We extend existing approaches to mental imagery to reach new digital usage experiences.•We theoretically connect telepresence with mental imagery.

Substantial multidisciplinary research has established foundational support for the consumer behaviour phenomenon that underlies the experience of telepresence within online social networks and other digital media products that provide hedonistic value. A review of major perspectives in this field provides justification of the important role mental imagery processes play in the phenomenon of telepresence. In line with this, we propose to extend existing approaches to mental imagery to reach the context of user experiences in digital media, and to theoretically connect telepresence with mental imagery. On this basis, and in conjunction with investigations bringing to light processes that intervene in the terrain of mental imagery, we present an integrative conceptual framework concerned with telepresence, and discuss the role of telepresence within a user’s hedonistic usage of digital media products.