Parasocial Media

A recent research article looks at the transformation of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram into what the author calls “parasocial media.”

Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships, with one of the people involved often not even knowing the other exists.

Celebrities and other public figures are common targets of parasocial relationships: the folks who watch them on their TVs or smartphones feeling a sort of kinship with these figures, and over time, they may come to feel like they actually know this stranger who they only perceive through various media channels.

This type of relationship has become more common in the era of social platforms, because these far-off people can seem very open and accessible, and we can learn all about them and their lives (or well-cultivated, filtered versions of them), making the bond feel quite intimate, even when it’s anything but.