Whether we realize it or not, many of us have fallen victim to a parasocial relationship, so what are they? Parasocial relationships refer to a one-sided relationship in which one person extends their emotional energy, time, and devotion while the other party is completely unaware of the individual’s existence.
If you’re still confused, try to think of celebrities, online personalities, or idols whose job is to seek the interest of their fans and followers. We don’t know these people. We just think that we do, because of how much they share their lives with us through a screen. Whether it is through vulnerable or relatable moments, the more they share the more we become invested in their lives because it’s as if they are our friends. With social media platforms, it has become easy and accessible to learn more about strangers online. Take TikTok for example, people who post videos about their lives through vlogs, hauls, and story times are how they make a living.
In an article titled “Too Close for Comfort: The Pitfalls of Parasocial Relationships” author Otegha Uwagba, states how the pandemic may have played a huge role in an increase in parasocial relationships.
“For many of us, we are periodically trapped at home and unable to socialize, our favorite creators and media personalities have stepped into the breach left by our real-life friends.”
Reflecting on a time when we couldn’t reach our friends, at least we can get on our phones, and take a look at the lives of others and feel some sort of connection because maybe they share the same hobbies, music taste, or fashion style as us. Those who we think are similar to us, we are drawn to, even if they don’t know us.
An instance of this happening is with Chappell Roan, an artist who before rising to fame, was just like us who had a TikTok account where she would upload videos. Recently, she attempted to establish boundaries between herself and her fans saying that she was uncomfortable. Many were upset by the video where she claimed that she didn’t want people going up to her and asking her for pictures while she wasn’t working because she’s a normal person like anyone else. This shows that at the end of the day, these celebrities are people just like us who face hardships and are entitled to express their feelings towards the millions who watch them.
There needs to be a fine line between the creator and the consumer, we must not get too attached to these people because we don’t know them and they don’t know us. Morally so, celebrities are human beings who are simply reacting to these fans’ parasocial behaviors and “out of control” demands. It’s not justifiable to build a parasocial relationship on anyone we have a likeness to.
