The World’s Biggest Pandemic: Parasocial Relationships

Many people feel like they are close to famous people.

“Parasocial relationships” or PSRs are one of the big internet buzzwords of the year. They are “one-sided relationships, where one person extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other’s existence,” according to the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, PSRs have risen due to the extended periods of isolation and digital consumption. The technological age we live in has made it easier to form unrealistic ideas of famous people.

Psychologists don’t really classify parasocial attachments as good or bad, because someone can just be a regular fan or a follower. It’s good to have someone to look up to.

To parasocially attach to a celebrity, a person has to have interacted with them like discovering them online or meeting them in person, then it develops from there. 

There are three known stages of PSR. The “entertainment and social” level is first, which is being a typical fan who likes a celebrity because they find them entertaining. The “intensive” stage leans more toward celebrity worship, an obsession rather than normal appreciation.

These kinds of obsessions were common with television personalities like newscasters and comedians. Some readers even developed parasocial relationships with fictional characters from books. But they are now prevalent for any public figure one can think of.

One of them is the famous singer and rapper Doja Cat, who upset her fan base when she said she did not view them as friends.  

In a September interview with Harper’s Baazar, she said “I don’t though because I don’t even know y’all.” 

That comment left many fans upset but others agreed.

The last level is the “border-pathological” stage, where people become more or less like stalkers and have unhealthy delusions about their favorite celebrities.

The tragic death of 80s actress Rebecca Schaeffer is one of the most well-known cases of how PSRs can be dangerous. Schaeffer was shot and killed in 1989 at her Los Angeles home by a fan who found her address after sending her letters and gifts.

The Voice singer and YouTuber Christina Grimmie was also killed at a meet and greet in Orlando.

These cases show how dangerous people’s interaction with public figures can be, which is why it is important to recognize boundaries. At the end of the day, we are strangers to these people.

Not all celebrities have a problem interacting with their fans outside of pop-ups and movie premieres. Some enjoy talking to their followers online or taking gifts, but not everyone wants that.

For the sake of safety, remember that public notoriety should not overshadow one’s humanity, so don’t let an obsession cloud your judgment.

It’s also important that people look after their mental health and recognize when they are going too far. So focus on your reality— Chris Evans doesn’t know you.