Parasocial relationships between celebrities and their fans highlight the negative effects social media has on mental health

As technology has developed, so has the way information is shared and communication occurs. With the creation of the internet came forums and social platforms such as Myspace and Tumblr, then eventually the ones people know now: Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.

Though these platforms have allowed for news to become more easily accessible and relationships to be fostered, they also had negative impacts. Particularly, access to the lives of celebrities and other well-known individuals has increased to an almost unhealthy level.

This ease of access fan bases of celebrities have acquired to their idols’ personal lives can lead to intense parasocial relationships that are difficult to put an end to. Parasocial relationships occur when a person feels a deep personal connection, sometimes to the point of obsession, with another individual, even if it is not reciprocated.

The increasing popularity of social media has blurred the lines between genuine connections and one-sided pursuits, primarily due to the inherently interactive nature of the platforms. Anyone can sign up for an account, or even several, for free and immediately have access to a world of celebrities whose content they can like or comment on.

Because social platforms’ basic functions run based on algorithms, it can be easy for fans to curate their feeds in a way that tunes out everything but their sole interests. These algorithms recognize patterns in the ways people use social media and tailor what is shown to them based on the content available on the platform that they regularly interact with.

Of course, social media is not  an inherently a dangerous place for people to interact with those of different social standings than them. In fact, using it can be helpful in sharing updates about celebrities’ latest work, upcoming events and connecting with fans to learn what they might want to see in the future. It is only when these fans start developing obsessive behaviors that parasocial relationships become an issue.

General interest in an influencer is not unhealthy and can even have positive impacts on the average person, especially if they need a figure to look up to. But, when these connections develop to the point of repetitive attempted contact and threats when communication is not reciprocated, there must be boundaries set.

Intense interest in a celebrity without boundaries being set can lead to a decline in the personal well-being of the fan, the celebrity, or both. Media consumption overall, when there is an excessive amount, can itself lead to poor mental health, but the outcomes can be exacerbated by parasocial relationships.

People can fall into episodes of depression or anxiety if they see their efforts toward a relationship are not being reciprocated. Not to mention, if too much energy is put into online relationships rather than real life ones, it can lead to a decline in the skills necessary to build them.

Because social media accounts can be cultivated rather than show the entirety of a person’s life, it can lead to unrealistic expectations for in-person interactions and relationships. When a fan sees how a celebrity interacts with their fans at events, or even how the celebrity interacts with family and friends, they may develop the expectation that this is how the celebrity acts all the time and model their own behavior after it. These expectations, in tandem with a lack of developed skills, can lead to social isolation and even greater negative effects on one’s mental health.

To prevent outcomes like this, people must monitor their own social media consumption and that of those around them. By starting with one’s own boundaries and understanding of social platforms, it is possible to mitigate the extent to which parasocial relationships can reach.

With the ease of access society has to information today, social media users must develop digital literacy to understand how they can consume content in a healthy way. Users must also recognize when the online social circles they associate with have developed a negative or obsessive atmosphere that contributes to these unhealthy parasocial relationships and standards.

The burden does not necessarily rest on just the fans’ shoulders. The owners and operators of social media platforms must be willing to implement features that mitigate the extent in which fans can interact with high-profile individuals. In some ways, this idea has already been implemented.

Take Instagram’s ‘business account’ option for example: a personal account cannot message business accounts unless the accounts are mutually following each other. This can help prevent celebrities with professional accounts from being harassed by individuals they do not know – at least, outside of comment sections. Most platforms also provide the option to block and report accounts.

What social media platforms can crack down on is the ability for an individual to continuously create new accounts, even after their previous accounts have been reported or blocked. These platforms should also be less reliant on algorithms, so it is less likely that a person will pigeonhole their online experience into an obsessive space they have no ability to dig themselves out of.

For the safety of both celebrities and fans alike, there needs to be regulations put in place to create healthy boundaries between them. Otherwise, the trend of fans developing obsessive parasocial relationships with their idols will continue.