Getting To Know Parasocial Relationships, A Fantasy Relationship Between Fans And Idols

Illustration (Anna Tarazevich/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Parasocial relationship or social relationship is a 'view' or imaginary relationship that often occurs between fans and their idols. Why is it said to be an imaginary relationship? Because in a social relationship, the existing relationship is one-sided where one party provides energy, time, and shows interest in other parties, while the other party is not aware of the existence of the first party.

This parasocial relationship itself generally occurs in celebrities, athletes, influencers, or anyone else, and can even be a character from animation or games. Uniquely, the term 'parasocial relations' was first initiated by Donald totaling and Richard Wohl in the 1950s after seeing the dynamics of the relationship between the audience and various artists, both on television, films, and news programs.

Pasti di antara Anda pernah melakukan satu atau dua hal dari beberapa bentuk hubungan parasocial. Seperti bertanya apa yang sedang dilakukan atau dipikir oleh idol saat ini. Selasa mengecek media sosial untuk mengetahui info-info terbaru dari idol, merasa memiliki kobonan inner yang kuat dengan idol, hingga bahkan pernah membayangkan bagaimana jika Anda dapat menjalin hubungan dengan idol. Nah beberapa hal tersebut menjadi ciri-tik kalau Anda terbentang dalam hubungan parasial.

In 2006, researchers David fire and John Maltby, adapted from Cleveland Clinic, Tuesday, November 26, classified the social relationships into three subcategories, namely entertainment-social, intense-private, and paving-pathological. The main element that distinguishes these types of affection is the amount of control you have over your feelings.

Entertainment-social parasocial relationships

According toctions and Maltby, the majority of social relationships are included in the realm of entertainment. In other words, you are attracted to celebrities or characters because you feel they are attractive. And because they are fans they make real relationships in your life easier.

You know that you don't really know the person in question, but learning and talking about them is fun. There's nothing wrong with that! In fact, it's a great way to get friends and learn new things.

Intensive-personal social relations

The second most common category of social relations is the "intense-private" type. fire and Maltby describe this level of entanglement as a reflection of "intensive and compulsive feelings towards celebrities."

In an intense social relationship, you understand that your relationship is not real, but you also don't completely control the feelings for the person or character in question. Having a "interest in celebrities" is one thing. Most people have experienced it. However, being obsessed is another thing, feeling that someone you've never met is a soulmate, a friend, or someone you deserve to worship.

People with intense social relationships may feel the need to check celebrity social media every day, or have difficulty focusing on other things, such as work or school. These intense emotions can prevent you from building close ties with others, or cause rifts when people around you don't have the same feelings.

Parasocial-threat-pathological relations

The most rare and most dangerous form of social relations is the type of threshold-pathological. In this situation, a person can no longer control his thoughts, feelings, or (in some cases) behavior. Parasocial relationships on thresholds can lead to stalking or violence.

men and Maltby gave two examples of ideas people might have with a parasocial relationship close to being pathological. The first is, "I would love to die to save the lives of my favorite celebrities." The second is, "'If I got into my favorite celebrity house, they would love to see me."

An example of the most famous pathological social relationship is the case of John Hinkley Jr. shooting the then US President, Ronald Reagan, in 1981. After the attempted murder, Hinkley revealed that he shot the President in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster.

Apart from the social relationship that is only imaginary and seems 'negative', in fact there is also a positive impact. Being established in a social relationship gives us more opportunities to be able to connect with others in the real world, for example gathering with other fans. We also have a support system in the daily life of our idol, which can increase self-confidence and also as motivation to live everyday life.

But of course, if this social relationship is carried out excessively or in a "fanatic" manner, it can have a negative impact. Such as causing unrealistic expectations or celebrity marriage syndrome, often comparing self-life with idol life, and the emergence of excessive empathy for every thing related to idol. Therefore, it is better not to overdo it in a parasocial relationship.