The Psychology of Parasocial Relationships: Your Mental Health as a Fan

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Feel as if your favourite celebrity (whether they’re an influencer, a musician, an athlete or an actor) seems like they’re your friend? With the advent of social media, this feeling of closeness with our idols and celebrities is more prevalent than ever – and we feel like we’re a part of their daily lives.

This sense of closeness is called a parasocial relationship; and it can be a double-edged sword for both celebrity and fan. This article will explore the reasons behind why we form parasocial relationships, as well as look at both the positive and negative impact that these fan-celebrity relationships can have on our mental health.

What is a Parasocial Relationship?

Parasocial relationships are a deep one-sided relationship that forms between an individual and a celebrity or fictional character. These relationships may develop between an individual and their favourite musician or actor, or even a fictional character that they encounter in a book or a movie.

Despite the latter not knowing the individual in ‘reality’, this relationship is a strong emotional connection between the two. It goes beyond the individual admiring their favourite celebrity or movie character; instead, it feels more like a real-life friendship that the individual has with them, one that they can learn on for support and comfort.

Factors that form a Parasocial Relationship

In this information age, it’s easier than ever for parasocial relationships to be developed between a celebrity and their fans.

In fact, parasocial relationships are often deliberately cultivated by a celebrity; as this such feelings of connection can create a more dedicated fanbase, and lead to monetary benefits (think: sold-out concerts or bigger advertisement details) for them.

These are several factors that affect the development of a parasocial relationship.

Accessibility and Exposure

A parasocial relationship first starts when you’re ‘exposed’ to the object of your attention; in this case, the celebrity. The more often you encounter this said celebrity, the more likely that they’ll be on the top of your mind. With social media, it’s easy for celebrities to post a few photos to show the ‘behind the scenes’ of their everyday routines; or even start streaming and interact with their fans in real time.

This increased accessibility that we have to our favourite celebrities can strengthen the parasocial relationship; as it feels like we can reach them anytime we want, in the same way that our friends are available to us.

Shared Values

We form connections with people whom we can empathise with and whom we think are part of ‘our people’. As such, a parasocial relationship is more likely to develop if we think the celebrity shares the same beliefs and values that we do; and if they are even vocal about it, on their own platforms. We may feel like they’re able to vocalise our own thoughts, and this can strengthen that sense of closeness with them.

Perceived Authenticity

One of the most important factors for a parasocial relationship – particularly one with a celebrity – is whether we feel that they’re being real with us. Our feelings of connection grow stronger when we feel that our celebrity idols are disclosing their real and personal thoughts with us; whether it’s through a social media caption, being candid in an interview, or rambling on in a livestream.

This glimpse of their off-stage persona makes us feel like we’re insiders with them, as if they’re treating us like their close friends as well. It increases how relatable we find them, and creates a sense of trust between the celebrity and us – like in a real friendship.

How do Parasocial Relationships affect Your Mental Health?

It can be tempting to declare that parasocial relationships are terrible, as they’re based on a fake sense of closeness. However, studies have shown that parasocial relationships can provide comfort and support to the individual. Even anecdotally, having your idol tell you to chase your dreams can be a source of encouragement for someone who’s going through a bit of a slump.

Of course, on the other side, parasocial relationships can be detrimental to one’s mental health if they go too out of hand. They may cause an individual to act in irrational ways, such as flooding their favourite celebrity’s inbox with messages or heckling a musician when they’re performing because of their ‘perceived friendship’.

Signs that a parasocial relationship is affecting your mental health negatively include:

If you prioritise your relationship with your celebrity over interactions with your friends and family in real life
If you stop engaging with the real world and feel isolated from your daily life
If you find that your thoughts are consumed by the object of your parasocial relationship

Tips for a Healthy Engagement as a Fan

When we’re fans, it’s hard to stop ourselves from getting overly invested into what we like. However, as with everything, balance is key – especially knowing the boundaries that we should abide to as a fan.

Remember the nature of your relationship

No matter how ‘close’ a celebrity may seem to us, we need to always remember the nature of our relationship with them: that is, it is entirely one-sided and said celebrity doesn’t actually know who we are. Like mentioned above, this closeness may even be a cultivated part of their marketing strategy (as callous as this sounds). This doesn’t mean that we should doubt everything that our idol says; rather, take it with a grain of salt, and have it form part of your awareness that the feelings of closeness we’re experiencing will always be a one-sided one.

Cultivate other interests

Diversify the types of things that you’re emotionally invested in: such as, find a hobby that you can dive into, or different media series and books that you’re interested in. If you find that your attention is solely on one celebrity or influencer, it’s more likely that this parasocial relationship will turn towards something less healthy for you.

Don’t neglect your real-world friends

As real as our friendship may seem to our idol, remember to cultivate your real-world friendships and spend time with your friends and family too. Make an effort to foster closer relationships with those around you; locating the same source of comfort you may have find in your idol in those in your real life as well.

If you find yourself struggling to juggle your relationships with your favourite celebrity and your daily life, reaching out for professional help is a good idea. Speak to any of our counsellors or psychologists in Singapore, and get actionable advice on how you can manage this feeling of attachments and practise being a fan in a healthy way.

References

Written by Em Tang

An experienced health & wellness writer, I am a story-teller at heart. For me, writing is a way of weaving together the little details that make our existence meaningful and significant into a beautiful, larger story.

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The Psychology of Parasocial Relationships: Your Mental Health as a Fan

What is a Parasocial Relationship?