In this episode of Cubs Out Loud, it’s time for another Landscape of Relationships. The cubs are once again joined by Dr. Edward Angelini-Cooke for this insightful look into one-sided parasocial interactions. From celebrities to social media influencers, learn how these types of relationships are formed without the others’ knowledge and also the positive and negative impacts they can have on the person creating it. Please like, comment and subscribe to learn more.

Show Topic

Landscape of Relationships: Parasocial Interactions

Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships where one person invests lots of time, energy, interest, and sometimes money where the other person is completely unaware of the other person’s existence.  Parasocial relationships are most common with celebrities, organizations, television stars, and social media.  These relationships are created through parasocial interactions (PSI) through mediated encounters with performers through mass media.

Social media offers an added layer of interaction for these relationships to intensify through likes, comments, and direct messaging.  

Alief – def. knowing something isn’t real but feeling like it is

Positive Outcomes of Parasocial Relationships

*Identity Formation 

• performers can offer autonomy in relationships where they can receive total acceptance outside of parents/family.  
• provide a secure relationship without the fear of rejection.
• feeling a part of a group 
• empathy

*Learning

• Bandura’s Social Learning Theory says that social behavior is learning and imitating the behaviors of others. 
• Shows like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and more recently Bluey all offer kids opportunities to learn through identification with these characters.  

Negative Outcomes of Parasocial Relationships 

*Body Image 

• research has indicated a negative relationship between parasocial relationships and body image, as well as self-comparison, social comparison with characters increases negative body image 
• interestingly among men, having a PSR with a superhero is likely to protect body image, where not having a PSR with a superhero is likely to hurt body image 
• the usage of filters in social media (like airbrushing in print media) has greatly increased, giving a false reality of performers.

*Aggression 

• more aggressive viewers were more likely to identify with aggressive characters and create PSR with them. 

*General 

• anxiety media views are more likely to be more invested in parasocial relationships 
• parasocial relationships are one-sided and different traditional friendships
• the whole hegemonic masculinity thing
• parasocial breakups and grief “what happens when they ‘betray’ you or they die?” Research indicated this follows the patterns of a relationship breakup
• can create bias in reality 

Topics of PSR

• Taylor Swift “Swifties”, Lizzo “Lizzbeans”
• Twitter/Only Fans
• Reality TV Stars 
• Vloggers/Podcast hosts 
• Fictional Characters 
• Tiktok 
• Politicians

Be mindful of the media you are consuming and how that translates into your other relationships and the real world.

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