Taylor Swift, BTS and Beyoncé all have an intense, ever-loving fan base. But sometimes, this love fans have for celebrities can go too far.
Parasocial relationships can be described as one-sided relationships where someone puts their time and energy into that relationship with the other person being unaware of them. Over half of Americans have been in parasocial relationships, according to a research study by Thriveworks.
“Parasocial relationships are a pretty normal part of development on people, as people grow up,” said Suzanne Degges-White, chair and professor of Counseling and Counselor Education. “Adolescents often develop strong parasocial relationships with, like, celebrities, TikTok folks, influencers. And so it’s kind of, they’ve been called imaginary friends for adults.”
An extreme example of parasocial relationships is the case of Rebecca Schaeffer. Shaeffer was an actress and model in the ‘80s when sadly on July 18, 1989, she was killed by an obsessed fan, Robert John Bardo. Bardo, who often sent her letters, shot her in her home. He felt betrayed and hurt after her performance in a love scene in “Scenes From the Class Struggle,” according to E! News.
Degges-White says social media may be shifting the dynamics of parasocial relationships.
“This idea that we have this relationship with this person and because social media allows us to see so much of these people and see them, like, 360 degrees versus just a picture on our wall and a poster,” Degges-White said. “We can develop really strong relationships because we think we know these people.”
Former member of One Direction, Louis Tomlinson told “Late Late Show” host, James Cordon, about a freaky fan interaction.
“A couple of weeks ago, I tweeted, ‘There’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning, and you can’t have a cup of tea because you’ve no milk’, right? Within an hour, I looked out, someone’s ringing me bell relentlessly. It’s this 45-year-old woman, she’s like, ‘Here’s the milk,’” Tomlinson said during “Carpool Karaoke.”
Degges-White has a friend whose daughter is in her 30s and loves Taylor Swift. The daughter has attended “The Eras Tour” concert film ten times, has been to the live concert, buys every album and is strongly against the Travis Kelce relationship.
“She’s an adult, but she has this relationship with Taylor Swift, and it makes her feel good. She’s got, like, this cool friend, Taylor Swift, who wouldn’t know her in a crowd,” Degges-White said.
Parasocial relationships can be normal, but don’t let the love you have for a celebrity overwhelm you or become an obsession. Celebrities don’t feel the same way about you. It’s okay to admire a celebrity, but don’t let that admiration become dangerous.
