As we ready ourselves for a return to in-person learning, it is with joy and excitement that we can again meet and vibe with the individuals with whom we build the greatest relationships: our friends. For many of us, the pandemic has kept us physically and socially isolated from our friendships, resulting in compensatory measures to supplement our deficiency in personal interactions. One such mechanism has been an increased consumption of parasocial interactions.
Parasocial relationships (PSRs) are those formed between an audience member/consumer and another party who is unaware of their existence, where the former develops an emotional connection to the latter with sentiments of friendship and intimacy. Historically, the principal instance of PSR has been celebrity fascinations—it’s a bit reminiscent of that friend who “stans” Suga to an unwarranted and potentially unhealthy degree. Today, however, PSRs may develop with a multitude of individuals, ranging from YouTubers and influencers to fictional characters. Although such PSRs may appear harmless, the emotional leverage that public figures possess over their audiences may be far-reaching, with sinister consequences.
It is easy to imagine that digital celebrities who have cultivated the image of an intimate relationship with their followers might be able to influence the purchasing habits of the latter, via endorsements of sponsored products, for example. The monetary benefit of collaborations and deals with influencers is being increasingly recognized by brands as a method of accessing potential consumers in a seemingly authentic manner, especially at a time when traditional digital advertisements (pop-ups, sidebar ads, etc.) fail to attract engagement. The risk therein arises from the observation that individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to engage in PSRs and alter their purchasing behaviours, shifting the nature of marketing from informational to bordering on coercive.
The populism evoked by former President Trump during his campaign and term, for example, has been linked to a parasocial relationship with his followers. One study found that a stronger PSR with Trump was linked to reduced information-seeking behavior for COVID-19. This is certainly not an isolated instance—the activities, ideas, and beliefs of the object of a PSR have the ability to influence the consumer of their content. Separately, the contraction of COVID-19 by the object of a PSR was found to be associated with an increase in consumers’ perceived susceptibility to contracting COVID themselves, with the effect amplified in individuals who previously believed the threat of illness to be non-imminent.
For better or worse, popular figures have demonstrated a distinct ability to influence and mediate the effectiveness of public health policy during a pandemic, especially to poorly informed peoples. Personae such as Joe Rogan or Candace Owens, who espouse vaccine skepticism and mockery or even propose blatant conspiracy theories, are able to strike devastating blows to the push for vaccination and social distancing.
PSRs, however, are not without therapeutic benefits. Given that humans are innately social creatures, many have felt the psychological weight of carrying out their routines day in and day out without a single physical interaction. Retrospective studies have suggested a positive role of PSRs in supplanting lost social interactions and providing refuge from anxieties over the ever-changing landscape the pandemic has brought. For seniors and other vulnerable populations that had to quarantine to a greater extent, PSRs provide a sense of companionship and socialization in an otherwise very lonely time.
As we continue to work towards pre-COVID social normalcy, we should consider taking the lessons we have learned from the grandest social experiment in recent history and harness the insights gleaned from the effects of global isolation on psychology, health, and mental well-being. Even in the far future, when the term “coronavirus” will be as antiquated as words like “grody” and “gnarly,” individuals will still be subject to the parasocial entities whose haunting grounds only expand as our digital lives become more and more intertwined with our identities.
