Media Boosts Parasocial Relations

Addison Pendegraft, section editor

In today's media-driven culture, parasocial relationships (PSRs), a one-sided relationship developed with celebrities or fictional characters, are becoming scarily normalized in modern society.  

People can develop PSRs with celebrities for many reasons, but, PSRs stem in the first place because frequent media exposure can create a sense of emotional intimacy and a fulfillment of social and emotional needs from the outside world that one may be lacking. In the age of technology, the popularity of PSRs has surged due to the parasocial qualities of online communities that people nowadays find themselves involved in such as X, Facebook and Instagram. An example of a PSR is a someone buying a cardboard cutout of Harry Styles, an English singer, as that person believes they are in love. And according to the National Library of Medicine, the rise of PSRs can especially be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. As people worldwide were restricted from physical content and in person social interactions, resulting in many adapting and learning to have meaningful interactions on social media. This created the perfect storm of individuals feeling isolation and becoming dependent on technology for intimacy, enabling the significant boost in PSRs. 

“Social media lets people see and follow every part of a celebrity’s life, which makes them feel even closer to [the celebrity],” said senior Rayna George, the Psychology Club co-founder and president, when asked about social media’s impacts on PSRs. 

But these relationships, often beginning with innocent intent, can quickly fester into something much more sinister. PSRs can have very negative impacts on the celebrities that many individuals fixate on. The negative consequences can come in the form of fans often blurring boundaries, which leads to high fan expectations and pressure, and even aggressive behavior from disillusioned fans. According to the University of California’s official campus newspaper, there are many dangers with companies and celebrities who encourage this behavior, either by controlling how a celebrity is seen in order to appeal to the obsessed masses or by actions celebrities take when interacting with fans. 

For example, in the K-Pop industry, many celebrities are forbidden from dating in order to be seen as “accessible” to fans. Celebrities themselves may even give in to this behavior by continuously interacting with fans online and even developing friendships with their fans. While there’s nothing wrong with healthy celebrity-to-fan interaction, drawing the line clearly is impertinent to maintaining a healthy fanbase. Otherwise, fans may feel encouraged to obsess over their favorite celebrity and develop and indulge in harmful aspects of PSRs. 

“Fans can get too attached or obsessed, and celebrities can lose privacy and feel a lot of pressure,” added George. 

These negative consequences don’t only have an impact on the celebrity but can also have a toxic effect on the individual as well. According to Harvard Health, depending on the severity and nature of the relationship, PSRs can carry risks such as social isolation, anxiety and unrealistic expectations. These can all have devastating impacts on the individual’s mental health. Especially if fans cling onto celebrities rather than real-life friends in their lives, the detrimental mental impact becomes inevitable. PSRs enable individuals to feel less lonely and have a sense of social interaction, but it comes with a heavy price as these relationships are limited, at a distance and frequently only ever a fabrication in a fan’s mind.   

Even though the solution to this phenomenon is still unclear, at the heart of it, it’s up to the individual to solve their own parasocial tendencies. Though in a society with increasing amounts of relatable influencers and artists that seem emotionally available, it’s a feat that’s becoming increasingly difficult. Ultimately, fans need to look inwards, take off the rose-tinted glasses and see that it’s the art they know and love so deeply, not the artist themselves.