Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships or interactions between a viewer and a public figure. The viewer or the fan believes to have a real and genuine bond with the public figure, but the public figure is not even aware of the viewer and their ‘bond’ with the viewer. Hence, parasocial relationships (PSR) are a form of social interaction where one party is subtly obsessed and knows a lot of information about the prominent party (usually a public figure like a musician or actor) but the prominent party is unaware of the other party’s existence or any information.
Parasocial relationships are not new to society but have been on the rise due to social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic era. They have become much more intense and common than ever. Twitch streamers, Tiktok stars, Instagram influencers, Youtubers, KPop idols and other media figures are common parties that viewers form a parasocial relationship with. PSRs can be categorised into three types:
- Entertainment-Social PSR is where you’re a fan of a certain celebrity and follow their work and talk about them to your peers.
- Intense-Personal PSR is where you worship the celebrity you like and believe that you have a personal relationship with them and have real feelings and attachments to the celebrity.
- Borderline-Pathological PSR is the next stage of the celebrity worship stage where the ‘fan’ cannot control compulsions and will act on their fantasies and delusions like stalking or showing up at the celebrity’s set or home.
Parasocial relationships are not necessarily healthy or toxic. They can have a good and healthy impact on viewers and fans. For example, a celebrity opening up about their struggle with mental health and seeking therapy might encourage fans to give more attention and care to their own mental health. It becomes more of learning from someone who the fans look up to. If someone is going through a heartbreak and comes across a musician whose work resonates with what the person is feeling, then it acts like an effective harmless coping strategy. Parasocial relationships can play a significant role in social development by providing support, motivation and influence over behaviour. Being in a fandom or community where you are united by a common love for a celebrity or their work, creates a sense of connection and increases social interaction with like-minded people. Using the achievements and positive traits of a public figure as a source of inspiration helps in self-improvement.
Given the advantages of a parasocial relationship, it must be monitored and be in moderation otherwise it can get toxic and unhealthy. It might interfere with the fan’s real-life personal relationships and result in negligence towards their friends, family, academics and work. It can result in negative social comparisons where you constantly compare your real-life situations to the celebrities’. Added to that, researchers have found that it influences spending habits a lot because of extreme loyalty and the mindset that buying merchandise or brands that the celebrity is endorsing, is directly supporting the celebrities who they worship. PSRs can increase media dependency and form addiction to media, spending and mental health which negatively impacts the quality of life. In extreme cases, it might isolate the fan from reality and make them go to the heights of hacking phones, retrieving personal information of the celebrity, stalking them, and causing harm to themselves because the celebrity they ‘loved’ is getting married or is going to stop working and much more privacy invading actions which might not be legal either. It can be detrimental to the fan’s health and the well-being of people around the fan as well. Perfect Blue is an anime movie which highlights the obsessiveness and extreme effects of a parasocial relationship.
During the pandemic when everyone was isolated and had no social interaction, media and these celebrity figures were one of the means through which people decreased their loneliness. But these are no means as effective and genuine as real-life interactions. People must become aware that the perceived bond and connection that one has with a celebrity is an illusion. It is important to stop and check if they are investing too much of themselves into this ‘relationship’ with the celebrity. Parasocial relationships can be a good accessory to one’s social life but the key is to know their priorities and do it in moderation.
