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- 📲 What are parasocial relationships?
📲 What are parasocial relationships?
& how are one-sided relationships with media figures changing us?
Imagine feeling a deep emotional connection to someone who doesn't even know you exist.
Many people may have already experienced this form of intimacy, which is known as a parasocial relationship.
Parasocial Relationship: a one-sided relationship in which a person expends emotional energy on a person — or a fictional character —whom they know through mass media like television or social media
What is a Parasocial Relationship?
Academic Lynn McCutcheon describes parasocial relationships as:
At its core, they are one-sided emotional investments where individuals develop strong feelings of friendship with media personalities, content creators, or online influencers.
What causes parasocial relationships?
Parasocial relationships aren't new, but digital platforms have made them more intense & immersive.
You could say that we live in a world of parasocial media, where online content creators want their viewers to see them as a friend…
So that they keep watching their videos or so they subscribe to their content.
Sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl proposed the idea of “parasocial interactions” in a 1956 paper about television.
They claimed that watching someone on television generates one-sided “intimacy at a distance.”
Television used to be the main driver of parasocial relationships.
These relationships were unidirectional.
The audience could see the performance, but the performer could not see the audience.
Digital media technology has made the issue more complex, as researcher Stephanie Sargent explained:
The economics of parasocial relationships
Social media platforms now allow performers to interact with their audiences in real time.
However, this doesn’t mean that relationships between content creators and their fans are no longer unidirectional.
While content creators can now interact with their audience through comments and other engagement tools, the relationship is still mostly one-sided.
Creators have a financial incentive to seem as authentic as possible while building parasocial relationships with as many people as they can.
It’s not all bad, as this allows content creators to potentially make a living by creating content that relates to their interests or passions.
I don’t make much money from this newsletter, but this was my goal when I started the Daily Concept 16 months ago.
Are parasocial relationships harmful?
The short answer is that parasocial relationships can be harmful, but they aren’t always bad.
On the one hand, these relationships can provide comfort, inspiration, and a sense of connection for people who might feel isolated.
Many people find genuine emotional support through content creators or public figures who speak to their experiences.
A podcaster might feel like an understanding friend, or a streamer might help someone feel less alone.
According to two recent studies, people report that their parasocial relationships with YouTubers and other online creators are “more effective at fulfilling their emotional needs than in-person acquaintances.”
Crucially, these people reported that close friendships & relationships are more effective at satisfying these emotional needs than parasocial relationships.
But, there's a darker side to parasocial relationships.
When parasocial relationships become too intense, they can interfere with real-life social interactions.
People might start prioritizing their one-sided connection over actual, reciprocal relationships.
There's also a risk of experiencing:
unrealistic expectations about relationships
emotional dependency on parasocial partners
major disappointment if (or when) the parasocial partner fails to live up to the idealized image
Younger people and those struggling with social anxiety might be more vulnerable to intense parasocial attachments.
This may make it harder for them to recognize the boundary between appreciation and unhealthy attachment.
Key Takeaways:
Parasocial relationships are one-sided emotional connections with media personalities
They represent a multi-billion dollar economy driven by monetizing authenticity
Changing technology is making these connections increasingly immersive & complex
As technology evolves, we can expect to see more sophisticated parasocial interaction tools.
Artificial intelligence will likely play an increasing role in personalizing these experiences, further blurring the lines between real and digital relationships.
ART OF THE DAY
Photograph by Jean Dieuzaide (AlbarracĂn, Spain, 1955)
