In recent years, an overconsumption of media, mainly among younger generations has led to a rise in parasocial relationships. In these unrequited and one-sided relationships, members of the public obsess over influencers and celebrities, who are clueless about their followers’ existence.
These relationships have sometimes proved helpful in providing a sense of community. ‘Swifties’, for example, are a massive fandom united around their shared love for singer Taylor Swift. In-person gatherings, like Cardiff University’s own Taylor Swift Society, bring people together through various activities, from study sessions to club nights. However, when engaging with others who also have parasocial relationships with ‘your celebrity’, there is space for conflict. People tend to feel invaded, and their feelings are invalidated as they do not align with their own perceptions. It can be difficult to share celebrities.
Parasocial relationships are also found online, through forums and group chats, which have both potential benefits and a harmful side. Parasocial relationships can negatively influence real-life relationships, as they’re easier to maintain – you can’t offend someone who doesn’t know of your existence, so there’s little chance of messing that up. Meanwhile, real-life interpersonal relationships are rewarding, yet dauntingly difficult and easy to mess up. Many choose to forego personal relationships in favour of easier, comforting parasocial ones. Yet, this comfort and sense of belonging isn’t real. There’s no social reward to engaging in a one-sided relationship, and it can actually lead to more loneliness.
Beyond making real-life relationships more difficult, further damage can be caused by the actions of the favoured celebrity themselves. Obsessions with members of pop culture have been normalised, and this addiction is engrained in online culture, with fan pages being created as well as usernames to be inspired by celebrities. People deal with disappointment and/or denial when celebrities (who are also real people) behave differently from what is expected of them, with some having serious allegations against them.
Orion Experience fans were shocked when lead artist Orion Simprini was accused of grooming younger fans. With there being no concrete evidence, die-hard fans were left with two choices: either deny the allegations and continue listening in bliss, or face the disappointment that comes with idolising celebrities.
Chappell Roan recently sparked controversy after posting videos blasting what she deemed was creepy behaviour from fans. Some of her fans reacted with hurt and shock, arguing that what she had described was actually not that unreasonable. Fans were mortified, and people attempted to cancel Chappell. The differing severities of both cases display the high bar that is set for celebrities, which causes inevitable disappointment. Engaging in parasocial relationships with caution can however be beneficial – understanding that your idols are human beings capable of making mistakes is vital.
Nevertheless, self-esteem can be bettered through role models, for example, for my last birthday, my parents bought me a Cameo from one of my favourite reality show TV stars, Sandra Diaz-Twine. In the Cameo, she wished me luck for my future. I love this video, but I am also aware that my parents paid for it, and knowing this is important when I engage with it. I can appreciate both the message and sentiment while also allowing room for my favourite celebrities, like Sandra, to make mistakes in the future.
All of these factors make it complex to write a blanket statement on whether parasocial relationships are harmful or helpful. Despite the inevitable dangers that come with parasocial relationships, connecting over a shared love with others, loving and supporting celebrities isn’t inherently bad. However, if a parasocial relationship becomes all-encompassing, it leads to detrimental difficulties in real life relationships. Therefore, although it is not inherently wrong to engage with and support celebrities, it is important to be wary of how much it is consuming you and to know when you need to take a step back.
Words by Cameron Wagg
Featured image courtesy of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image licence found here.