Many media figures and celebrities use one-sided, imaginary relationships with their fans to foster deeper connections with them and make fans interact even more with their content. Usually, the connection is surface-level at best, as fans obviously do not know these celebrities personally and therefore cannot assume they know who they truly are in their day-to-day life. Sometimes fans take these imaginary relationships too far, leading to behaviors that some may consider unhealthy, obsessive or even parasocial — hence the term “parasocial relationships.”
Taylor Swift’s relationship with her fans and “Love Island USA’s” connection with its viewers are two relevant examples of parasocial relationships. However, people’s issues with the parasocial nature of these media figures may be more rooted in misogyny.
As Swift’s engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce broke the internet on Aug. 26, it became her most liked Instagram post of all time, at 36 million likes as of Sept. 6. The post sparked conversation around her fan culture, due to how some of her fans reacted in response to the announcement. A professor had apparently even canceled class because he “could not focus.” While this reaction was staged, Swift has built her musical career around the concept of finding love and having a fairytale romance, which is something her target audience — made up of mostly adult women — can empathize with.
Swift has written many relatable songs centered around the themes of heartbreak, loneliness and love, so it is understandable why her fans have cultivated a connection to that, and are ecstatic that she may get the happy ending to her love story.
This same dynamic of emotional investment and relatability is not limited to music. Reality TV shows like the aforementioned “Love Island USA” encourage similar parasocial connections, where viewers become deeply invested in the romantic escapades of contestants as they compete for love, a cash prize or simply internet fame. The premise of this show relies on the fans’ attachment to the real relationships for it to continue. Similarly to Swift, its target audience consists mostly of women.
American culture can be overtly misogynistic; it is uniquely critical toward things that are feminine, marketed toward women or made by and for women. It is no coincidence that two of the most recognizable examples of criticized parasocial relationships consist of inherently female-dominant fanbases.
While these relationships are parasocial, that does not make them bad, especially if they are not harmful to most of the fans and creators. It is not shameful for the fans of Swift or “Love Island USA” to be excited when life goes well for the people who create content they cherish.
Parasocial relationships can be dangerous if taken too far, but the same can be said about anything. These relationships exist in many places, such as podcasts, YouTube or sports teams. Ultimately, parasocial relationships are an outlet for people to connect with pop culture. Whether it is cheering on a football team or celebrating a favorite singer’s engagement, these relationships help people find community through media they love.
