#parasocialrelationships — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: October 5, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Celebrity admiration is linked to submission to authority, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/celebrity-admiration-is-linked-to-submission-to-authority-study-finds/

People who strongly admire celebrities tend to be more deferential to authority and more attached to traditional norms, according to new research published in Psychological Reports. The findings suggest that strong emotional attachments to famous figures relate to a preference for established social order and conventional norms, even after accounting for a person’s general political orientation.

People often form one-sided emotional connections with famous actors, musicians, and social media influencers. While these parasocial relationships are common and can sometimes provide a sense of community, intense celebrity admiration involves spending excessive time and effort focusing on a favorite public figure. This level of absorption is sometimes linked to negative outcomes. For instance, a 2021 study covered by PsyPost indicated that higher obsession with celebrities was associated with lower performance on tests of vocabulary and fluid intelligence.

The idea that celebrity admiration might be tied to authoritarianism is not new. Researchers proposed in 2001 that people inclined to defer to authority might gravitate toward celebrities, who are often treated as authorities on a range of topics, but their study of British participants found no association between the two.

Since then, the understanding of authoritarianism has shifted. The authors of a 2010 paper argued that right-wing authoritarianism is better understood as three related but distinct sets of attitudes: authoritarianism (which involves aggression and strict control), conservatism (which focuses on submission to authority and preserving the status quo), and traditionalism (which centers on adhering to old-fashioned lifestyles and morality).

Nearly 25 years after that first study, and amid shifts in celebrity culture and politics, the researchers sought to test which specific dimensions of authoritarianism are actually associated with celebrity admiration, especially once general political ideology and demographic factors are taken into account. The team was led by Ho Huynh, a senior lecturer in the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University.

“We know that celebrities have undue influence over people and that celebrities typically endorse liberal-leaning causes (e.g., climate change, immigration, abortion),” Huynh told PsyPost. “We were surprised to learn through our previous work that people who admire celebrities tend to self-identify as more politically conservative.”

“In the current work, we wanted to see if celebrity admiration would extend to right-wing authoritarianism,” Huynh continued. “This work might help to explain the contradiction of why politically conservative people in the United States might be more attracted to celebrities despite the stereotype that celebrities tend to hold liberal views.”

To investigate this, the researchers recruited 331 adults living in the United States through the online crowdsourcing platform Prolific. The sample was deliberately balanced during recruitment to contain an equal mix of self-identified liberals, moderates, and conservatives, meaning it is not nationally representative. About 54 percent of the participants were women, and all were 18 or older, with an average age of about 40.

Participants completed the brief seven-item version of the Celebrity Attitude Scale, a questionnaire that asks people to indicate their agreement with statements about their favorite famous person. This scale measures two levels of admiration. The first is a lighter, entertainment-social level, which includes enjoying keeping up with news about the celebrity or discussing them with friends. The second is a more intense, pathological level, characterized by feelings that the celebrity is a soulmate or that the fan shares a special, indescribable bond with them.

The participants also completed a survey assessing the three dimensions of right-wing authoritarianism. For example, participants rated their agreement with statements like “Obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues children should learn.” Finally, they provided demographic information, including their education level, socioeconomic status, and their overall political orientation on an 11-point scale ranging from completely liberal to completely conservative.

The initial results showed that both forms of celebrity admiration were linked to higher scores on all three dimensions of authoritarianism. The links were strongest for conservatism (correlations of 0.32 for the lighter form and 0.45 for the intense form, on a scale where 0 means no relationship), moderate for traditionalism (0.19 and 0.32), and weak for authoritarian aggression (0.15 and 0.13). Only the intense form was linked to political conservatism, and modestly so (a correlation of 0.19).

To see if these links held up under closer statistical scrutiny, the researchers ran a series of models that controlled for the participants’ age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, and general political orientation. This step helped rule out the possibility that the connection simply reflected factors like political conservatism, which was linked to authoritarian attitudes and to intense admiration.

After accounting for these factors, celebrity admiration consistently predicted right-wing conservatism and right-wing traditionalism. Demographics and political orientation explained about 24 percent of the variation in conservatism scores; celebrity admiration added 9 percent (lighter form) or 13 percent (intense form) on top of that. For traditionalism, it added only about 2 to 4 percent.

“The association between celebrity admiration and authoritarian submission seems to be robust and reliable, indicating that people who worship their favorite celebrity tend to prefer more dominant authorities,” Huynh explained. Asked what the average person should take away, he said: “People who report admiring their favorite celebrity are more likely to submit to authority and prefer traditional norms. These trends might help explain why people who admire celebrities may self-identify as more politically conservative.”

However, the relationship between celebrity admiration and the third dimension, authoritarianism (the demand for strict punishment of rule-breakers), did not remain robust. Once demographics and political orientation were factored in, intense admiration no longer predicted authoritarian aggression. The lighter form remained a statistically detectable predictor, but it accounted for only about 1 percent of the variation, and the authors do not consider this strong evidence of a link. The authors suggest this may be because people who heavily admire celebrities tend to see the world as fair, with people getting what they deserve, and so may feel less need to support harsh punishment for rule-breakers.

Huynh sees this boundary as an encouraging sign. “Celebrity admiration was not related to authoritarian aggression, which involves strictness and social control,” he noted. “This finding showed the limits of celebrity admiration, which is positive and worthy of optimism.”

As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The study measured these traits at a single point in time, so the direction of the relationship is unknown. Intense absorption in celebrity culture might lead someone to adopt more authority-respecting and traditional views, or people who already hold such views might be more drawn to celebrity culture. When the researchers flipped their statistical model, higher authority-submission scores also predicted more celebrity admiration, a pattern consistent with either direction.

The list of control variables was also limited, missing related traits like narcissism and a preference for social hierarchies. Additionally, the survey asked participants to focus on their favorite celebrity but did not distinguish between typical entertainers and political figures. Because modern politics has become heavily focused on personalities, admiring a politician might function differently than admiring a musician or actor.

“This research was not about political celebrities, but celebrities generally,” Huynh said. “Some people may want to view these findings through the Trump presidencies, but only 5 out of 331 people in the study listed Donald Trump as their favorite celebrity. As such, these findings represent the associations between celebrity admiration and endorsement of different aspects of right-wing authoritarianism more broadly.”

Finally, the study only included participants from the United States. Cultural values, political structures, and the nature of fame vary widely around the world, so these connections might operate differently in other countries.

Huynh suggested another direction for future work. “An interesting next step would be to examine the associations between celebrity admiration and left-wing authoritarianism (e.g., hostility toward people in power, support for censoring opposing views, and rejection of traditional values and norms),” he said.

The study, “Idols and Ideologies: Examining Associations Between Celebrity Admiration and Right-Wing Authoritarianism,” was authored by Ho Phi Huynh, Joshua L. Williams, Marla F. Jorgensen, Amy Dicke-Bohmann, and Lynn McCutcheon.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/celebrity-admiration-is-linked-to-submission-to-authority-study-finds/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CelebrityAdmiration #AuthoritySubmission #RightWingAuthoritarianism #ConservatismTraits #Traditionalism #ParasocialRelationships #CelebrityInfluence #PsychologicalResearch #AdmirationAndPolitics #CelebrityCultureStudy

DATE: September 16, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: New psychology research links obsessive celebrity worship to criminal thinking

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-links-obsessive-celebrity-worship-to-criminal-thinking/

New research published in Deviant Behavior indicates that an intense obsession with celebrities tends to go hand in hand with criminal thinking patterns and vulnerable narcissism. The findings provide evidence that the darker sides of celebrity worship are closely tied to a deeply insecure form of self-centeredness and a willingness to justify rule-breaking behavior.

Celebrity worship describes a one-sided, parasocial relationship where an individual becomes intensely attached to a public figure. This behavior exists on a spectrum. On the milder end, people might simply enjoy discussing their favorite actors or musicians with friends for entertainment. On the extreme end, the attachment takes on addictive qualities, leading individuals to obsessively track a celebrity’s life at the expense of their own daily functioning.

Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by an extreme focus on oneself, plays a central role in how these obsessions develop. Psychologists generally divide narcissism into two subtypes: grandiose and vulnerable. People with grandiose narcissism tend to be arrogant, aggressive, and highly self-assured, believing they are superior to others. In contrast, those with vulnerable narcissism suffer from deep insecurities, anxiety, and a constant fear of inadequacy, often reacting to threats with hostility or withdrawal.

Recent explorations of this insecure personality type, such as a study covered by PsyPost in 2025, have found that vulnerable narcissism is consistently rooted in anxious childhood attachment styles. These individuals often struggle to form healthy connections in real life. Because of this social anxiety, people with high levels of vulnerable narcissism seem particularly drawn to idolizing famous figures. A parasocial relationship offers a sense of connection without the fear of real-world rejection.

The relationship between extreme celebrity worship and harmful behavior has been documented for years. A 2007 study provided early evidence that pathological celebrity worshippers exhibit higher rates of criminal tendencies, sometimes showing a willingness to break the law if their idol asked them to. Separately, psychologists have explored how narcissistic traits fuel rule-breaking. A 2021 study demonstrated that distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism helps explain the psychological mechanisms that lead people to commit crimes.

More recent work has started connecting these overlapping personality traits. A 2025 study showed that people with vulnerable narcissism are uniquely prone to obsessing over celebrities, while arrogant, grandiose narcissists are not. Building on this progression of research, Joshua L. Williams, a professor and chair of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia Southern University, along with Leanne Confer of the University of Michigan, Flint, and Madeleine Krueger and Lawrence Locker, Jr. of Georgia Southern University, designed a new study to test how these elements interact.

The researchers wanted to see if celebrity worship and the two distinct types of narcissism independently relate to criminal thinking, which includes attitudes that justify illegal acts or ignore the harm caused to victims.

“While some early research, back in 2007, established a basic connection between celebrity worship and personality characteristics associated with criminality, very little empirical work since then explored how celebrity worship relates specifically to criminal thinking patterns,” the researchers told PsyPost. “Furthermore, previous research on personality and crime overwhelmingly focused on grandiose narcissism, leaving a significant gap concerning how vulnerable narcissism relates to both celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles.”

To investigate this, the research team recruited 237 undergraduate students from a large university in the southeastern United States. The participants had an average age of 21, and the group was primarily composed of female students. Through an online survey, the students completed several established psychological questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes and personality traits.

The survey included a measure to assess where participants fell on the spectrum of celebrity worship, from basic entertainment and social interest to intense personal connection and borderline-pathological obsession. To capture narcissistic traits, the researchers used two separate tools: one focused on the confident, superiority-driven traits of grandiose narcissism, and another focused on the defensive, insecure traits of vulnerable narcissism. Finally, the participants answered questions evaluating six categories of criminal thinking, such as a desire for power, a tendency to justify bad behavior, and insensitivity to the impact of crime on others.

When analyzing the data, the researchers found that the two types of narcissism related to celebrity worship in very different ways. As expected from previous research, vulnerable narcissism was reliably associated with higher levels of celebrity worship across the board. The more insecure and anxious participants were, the more intensely they obsessed over their favorite stars. Grandiose narcissism, however, showed no statistical relationship with celebrity worship.

“Furthermore, individuals who struggle with vulnerable narcissism, characterized by anxiety, low self-esteem, and social avoidance, tend to be particularly prone to forming these obsessive parasocial relationships, likely as a maladaptive coping strategy to manage daily distress and identity-development challenges,” the researchers explained.

Both forms of narcissism were linked to criminal thinking, but the patterns diverged. Grandiose narcissism was primarily associated with a desire for power, a sense of personal grandiosity, and a lack of sensitivity to how crimes affect victims. Vulnerable narcissism, on the other hand, predicted a much broader range of antisocial attitudes. It was strongly tied to nearly every category of criminal thinking measured, indicating that the insecurity and hostility characteristic of this trait may foster a widespread acceptance of deviant behavior.

“It was interesting to see that the vulnerable subtype of narcissism continued to be a consistent and strong predictor of celebrity worship, which fits with our previous work,” Williams and his colleagues noted. “However, now we show that the vulnerability associated with that subtype of narcissism, more so than the grandiose subtype, may also be predictive of criminal thinking styles. The consistency of the findings related to vulnerable narcissism underscores its importance to understanding constructs such as celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles in greater detail.”

The data also indicated a strong association between celebrity worship and criminal thinking. The nature of this relationship depended heavily on the intensity of the participant’s obsession. At the lowest level of celebrity engagement, where people simply use celebrities as a topic of social conversation, participants actually showed lower levels of grandiosity and greater sensitivity to the impacts of crime. This suggests that casual, entertainment-focused interest in celebrities is largely harmless and even associated with more pro-social attitudes.

“To prevent misinterpretation, readers should not assume that all forms of celebrity interest are harmful,” the researchers pointed out. “In this study, the entertainment-social level (the lowest level) of celebrity worship was actually predictive of lower criminal thinking and higher social desirability.”

The opposite was true for the more extreme forms of celebrity worship. Participants who scored high in borderline-pathological worship demonstrated a much stronger endorsement of criminal thinking. They were more likely to justify rule-breaking, seek out power and revenge, and disregard the harm caused by illegal actions. Even when the researchers mathematically controlled for both types of narcissism, intense celebrity worship independently predicted these criminal thinking styles.

“Intense, obsessive celebrity worship (the highest levels) is not merely harmless fandom,” they added. “It was only the extreme, obsessive, and borderline-pathological levels of celebrity worship that tended to align with problematic traits and cognitive styles.” Ultimately, the team concluded that “a person’s relationship with celebrities, especially when the relationship is borderline pathological, can be deeply tied to their underlying personality traits and cognitive patterns.”

“Readers should note that the correlations between celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles range from weak to moderate, with the strongest associations emerging at the highest, most obsessive levels of celebrity worship,” the authors said. “In our regression models, the combination of celebrity worship levels and narcissism subtypes accounted for 13% to 30% of the variance across various criminal thinking categories. While these effects demonstrate a meaningful statistical relationship, they also indicate that these psychological traits exist as part of a larger, highly complex web of factors that may influence criminal thinking.”

There are a few things to keep in mind regarding these findings. Because the study relied on cross-sectional data collected at a single point in time, the researchers cannot determine the direction of cause and effect. It is possible that vulnerable narcissism drives people toward celebrity obsession, but it is also possible that extreme parasocial relationships alter how people view themselves and the rules of society.

“Our long-term goal is to transition from cross-sectional designs to longitudinal studies, which would allow us to map out the specific developmental pathways and determine if narcissism drives criminal thinking through celebrity worship,” the researchers said.

The study does have some limitations regarding its sample as well. The participants were entirely composed of college students, a demographic that may not accurately represent the general public or individuals who have actually been involved in the criminal justice system. Future studies tracking these behaviors over time, or examining populations with a history of documented offending, could help clarify how these personality traits and obsessions translate into real-world behavior.

“We also aim to expand our research beyond college students to forensic samples, such as individuals with histories of arrest or incarceration, to see how these cognitive styles translate into actual offending behaviors,” the researchers added. “Finally, we plan to examine how self-control acts as a moderating factor within these relationships.”

The study, “Celebrity Worship, Narcissism, and Criminal Thinking Styles,” was authored by Joshua L. Williams, Leanne Confer, Madeleine Krueger, and Lawrence Locker Jr.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-links-obsessive-celebrity-worship-to-criminal-thinking/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CelebrityWorship #Narcissism #CriminalThinking #VulnerableNarcissism #ParasocialRelationships #CelebrityObsessed #MentalHealthAwareness #ImpactOfCelebrityCulture #PsychologyResearch #DeviantBehavior

I just saw a picture of someone, and in the comments, the author said: "Follow my IG: @<username>." Then I replied: "Will you follow me back too? Minimising the glorification of parasocial relationships." I hope there will be a response, lol.

#Parasocial #Instagram #SocialMedia #FollowBack #Mutuals #OnlineDynamics #InternetCulture #ParasocialRelationships #InstagramComment #SocialMediaNorms #DigitalCulture #HumanConnection #Critique

I really think it's vitally important in politics to avoid wasting time defending the actions and statements of fallible and inconsistent individuals and instead to articulate the principles by which you operate and the knowledge and reasoning that informs your view of the world, and to always try to refine that knowledge and reasoning.

The former is fickle and easily co-opted by the establishment, whereas the latter is the only way to gain some measure of resistence to such co-optation.

I always find it intriguing when artists reveal the depth of acting and persona that comes with things like content creation. I think this is why being in devrel has been strange for me because, I'm playing a role, but the role itself is also a part of me. #KnowWhatIMean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk1iFCibdwQ

#mentalhealth #parasocialrelationships #youtube

🔗 https://kjaymiller.com/microblog/why-am-i-still-doing-this-youtube.html

"One of the biggest mistakes I see Musicians make in this area is manufacturing distance between themselves and their audience."

#HahkoMcFarlane, 2025

https://archive.is/ZxwkO

(1/?)

#music #ParaSocialRelationships

Amanda Batula Says Fan Hate Kept Her With Kyle Cooke

Photo: Bryan Bedder/Bravo via Getty Images Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke were FaceTiming when they announced their separation.…
#NewsBeep #News #Celebrities #AmandaBatula #bravolebrities #CA #Canada #celebritybreakups #Entertainment #KyleCooke #parasocialrelationships #realitytv #SummerHouse #TV
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/515831/

Just finished the last episode of What We Do In The Shadows. A lot like Letterkenny, what I liked most about this series was the characters. They become your friends over the years. Sad to see them go but glad they didn't run the show into the ground by trying to stretch it out. Good bye, vampire gang.
#WhatWeDoInTheShadows #Letterkenny #parasocial #parasocialRelationships

Cambridge Dictionary’s 2025 word of the year captures an ‘unhealthy’ modern phenomenon

Cambridge Dictionary has named its word of the year for 2025, alighting on “parasocial,” used to describe a…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #ArtificialIntelligence #cambridgedictionary #Latvia #LV #Parasocialrelationships #personalconnection #RichardWohl #TravisKelce #wordoftheyear
https://www.newsbeep.com/257007/

Mashable: Dan and Phil turned a 16-year relationship reveal into a lesson on parasocial boundaries. “In a 46-minute satirical ‘conspiracy’ documentary, skillfully evoking the popular 2010s YouTube format, the creator duo confirmed what fans have speculated for nearly 16 years: that the creative partners, roommates, and best friends have been romantically linked the whole time, and that they’ve […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/17/mashable-dan-and-phil-turned-a-16-year-relationship-reveal-into-a-lesson-on-parasocial-boundaries/

https://rumble.com/v6vfhnh-liver-kings-dark-turn-threatening-joe-rogan-and-the-aftermath.html

Liver King’s Dark Turn: Threatening Joe Rogan and the Aftermath
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Linktr.ee/562AlexD

#LiverKing #JoeRogan #SocialMediaDrama #InfluencerArrest #SteroidScandal #AncestralLifestyle #OnlineInfluence #ParasocialRelationships #HealthRisks #PublicFigures #FitnessInfluencers

TikTok's direct-to-camera format tricks your brain into thinking creators are talking TO you, not AT an audience.

This creates intense parasocial relationships: one-sided emotional connections that feel surprisingly real and meaningful.

People are discovering autism, exploring identity, finding mental health support through creators they've never met.

🎧 https://bit.ly/43bQYqz

#ParasocialRelationships #TikTokPsychology #DigitalConnections

PsyPost: Parasocial jealousy is real: Study finds fans feel more threatened when rivals differ from them. “New research published in Psychology of Popular Media finds that people in one-sided romantic attachments with celebrities — known as parasocial romantic relationships — can experience jealousy when their favorite media figures begin a real-life romance. But not just any relationship […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/13/parasocial-jealousy-is-real-study-finds-fans-feel-more-threatened-when-rivals-differ-from-them-psypost/

Tubefilter: Is paying for private security just another cost of being a female streamer?. “Obviously we’re not saying male content creators have zero need for security, or that they never face threats of their own. More than a few male content creators have been swatted, and some have also had their homes broken into. But Emiru, Cinna, and Valkyrae’s incident especially highlights how […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/23/tubefilter-is-paying-for-private-security-just-another-cost-of-being-a-female-streamer/

We’re talking about a new, and an ongoing series — ZERO DAY & PRIME TARGET. #theletterhack #progressives #progressivepolitics #independentmedia #progressivemedia #uspolitics #politics #democracy #politicsnews #popculture #parasocialrelationships #zeroday #primetarget youtube.com/live/PF1Klor...

“POLITICOTAINMENT” & PARASOCIA...

New York Times: The Agony of Adoring Online Dogs. This link goes to a gift article. “There’s something distinct and humbling about forming a parasocial relationship with, and experiencing heartbreak from, an animal you’ve never met. Now that many of us have been on social media for a decade or more, it’s becoming impossible to not brace for the inevitable. And when these animals ‘cross […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/11/new-york-times-the-agony-of-adoring-online-dogs/

Tubefilter: YouTube wants creators and fans closer than ever with its new Communities update. “YouTube has put a big spotlight on fandom over the past year or so, recognizing that giving creators multiple ways to engage with fans plays a significant role in keeping audiences strong. And it scrapped the ‘Community’ name for text posts because it just introduced Communities–a new, dedicated […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/05/tubefilter-youtube-wants-creators-and-fans-closer-than-ever-with-its-new-communities-update/

Why podcast hosts feel like friends: Study explores authenticity and parasocial relationships https://www.psypost.org/why-podcast-hosts-feel-like-friends-study-explores-authenticity-and-parasocial-relationships/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Podcasting #PodcastHosts #Authenticity #ParasocialRelationships #Friendship

Parasocial relationships are common but can impact well-being. Signs of overinvestment include obsessive behavior. Strategies include setting boundaries and seeking help.

https://froydinger.com/parasocial-relationships-are-you-too-invested/

The latest obsession for celebrity fans is the romance between actor Callum Turner and singer Dua Lipa. It's just the latest example of a so-called parasocial relationship, where fans feel like they genuinely know celebrities, leading to feelings of ownership, protectiveness, and sometimes disappointment if a romance ends or a star does or says something "wrong." Here's a story from Stylecaster examining the phenomenon. But we want to know, do you think this is really a fresh phenomenon, or is it just regular old fandom and celeb culture with a swanky new name.

https://flip.it/qt-C3T

#Lifestyle #Celebrity #Relationships #Psychology #PopPsychology #ParasocialRelationships

One of the many downsides to investing in parasocial relationships is that none of your actual social relations are going to want to hear that much about it.

Especially if, like me, you're not even keeping up with the times so you're mostly excited about things that happened to people you don't actually know 10 years ago....

(at least my interest in people that goes back more than 20 years can be reclassified as 'historical'. Follow me for all the hottest outdated David Tennant and Kit Marlowe gossip!)

#ParasocialRelationships #relationships #socialmedia #media

I've created an aoir.social account, so here's my #introduction post! 
I'm a Ph.D Candidate at the University of South Carolina & Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Jacksonville State University.

I am in the process of wrapping up my #dissertation which is studying influencers through the #publicrelations lens to better understand #audienceperception and #parasocialrelationships.

I am a 2x grad from Auburn University #WarEagle and love to research & teach all things #socialmedia.

At first, I felt some shame but now I feel pretty neutral about the fact that I use #ParasocialRelationships to ease some loneliness. I love being alone, in many ways it’s my preferred state. And, I love being with friends (one at a time.) For a lot of reasons, I haven’t spent time with friends much lately, so I’ve been replaying the #MaintenancePhase podcast as kind of “company.” I know I don’t really know these people, and they certainly don’t know me. And also, it’s comforting.

Hit a limitation on using social media I've not encountered before. Usually I feel very comfortable chatting with people online about all kinds of things. But I've just read something distressing about an actor I admire very much, something bad that's happened in her private life. That her fans now know about.

I really want to talk about it, because it's a confusing situation and even though, of course, I don't actually "know" the people involved, I care about them. The people I know offline don't know (or care) about the personalities involved, so I can't really talk to them. And it seems wrong posting about it online because the conversation would be so public, and it's about a real person's trauma.

UGH! ugh. ugh ugh ugh.

I'm reduce do lurking on reddit fan discussions.

#ParasocialRelationships

Imaginary friends for adults

https://thoughtshrapnel.com/2023/04/10/imaginary-friends-for-adults/

#ThoughtShrapnel #ParasocialRelationships #psychology #CelebrityCulture

At least in my circles, there’s been a lot of talk about parasocial relationships over the last decade or so. Usually, the discussion is descriptive and simply observing the phenomenon.
In this article for The Atlantic, Arthur C. Brooks does a bit of analysis in terms of seeing parasocial relationships as a type of avoidant behaviour.

The term parasocial […]

https://thoughtshrapnel.com/2023/04/10/imaginary-friends-for-adults/

#psychology #podcasts #loneliness #MentalHealth #ParasocialRelationships

PsyPost: Listening to podcasts may help satisfy our psychological need for social connection, study finds

https://www.psypost.org/2022/11/listening-to-podcasts-may-help-satisfy-our-psychological-need-for-social-connection-study-finds-64395

How fascists get indoctrinated.
#stochasticterrorism, #parasocialrelationships
https://youtu.be/7aISa3bLv8s