Can Parasocial Relationships Be Beneficial?

In the age of technology and social media, there has been much discussion about the benefits and dangers of online relationships. However, relationships people have online are not always mutual. These relationships are often referred to as parasocial relationships, which are defined as “non-reciprocal socio-emotional connections with media figures such as celebrities or fictional characters” (Hoffner & Bond, 2022, para. 1). As parasocial relationships differ from typical relationships, additional considerations are needed to determine the impact these relationships can have on an individual. Specifically, can these relationships be beneficial to an individual’s mental health and what are the drawbacks of having these one-sided connections?

Benefits

Luton et al. (2022) discussed the power of disclosure of online personalities and how it impacts the people who watch their content. This research study found that after a Youtuber disclosed a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, individuals who had a stronger parasocial bond with the creator had lower prejudice levels towards mental health and BPD. Hoffner & Bond (2022) discussed a similar finding in their review of parasocial relationships. They stated that media figures who share mental health diagnoses or other health difficulties can help with reducing mental health stigma and encourage health behaviors.

Parasocial relationships can be just as important as reciprocal relationships in helping an individual meet their emotional needs. Luton et al. (2024) conducted three studies to compare two-sided relationships to parasocial relationships and how social rejection can alter an individual’s perception of their social needs being met. They found that although strong two-sided relationships were regarded as the most effective for meeting emotional needs, strong parasocial relationships were more effective than a weak two-sided relationship. Hoffner & Bond (2022) also highlighted the importance parasocial relationships can have on individuals who feel distanced from in-person connections. Parasocial relationships can help individuals explore their identity and connect with others with similar interests and backgrounds, which can be especially impactful for individuals from marginalized groups.

Drawbacks

Although online personalities can model healthy coping strategies for their audience, the opposite is true as well. Hoffner & Bond (2022) highlighted influencers showcasing unhealthy behaviors like substance use could influence their audiences to engage in similar behaviors. Additionally, individuals comparing themselves to influencers or celebrities is linked to depression, lower self-esteem, and appearance anxiety.

An article by Allegra Rosenberg for National Geographic highlighted the toxic fan communities that can appear due to parasocial relationships. Mel Stanfill, a professor of digital humanities at the University of Central Florida, who was interviewed for the article stated “When you interact with everything through your phone, the fact that there’s a human being on the other end can often get lost. There’s a disinhibition of it all; there’s a sort of filter bubble, or echo chamber effect where people convince themselves, ‘everyone agrees with me and therefore we are [all] righteous in our approach” (Rosenberg, 2024, para. 19).

Not only is there a potential to harm other fans online, but with extreme parasocial relationships there could be the concern for dangerous behaviors towards the celebrity or influencer that an individual is obsessed with. Although these behaviors are not common occurrences, they can still happen. For instance, a podcast host, Zohreh Sadeghi, was murdered by a fan of her podcast. Although Zohreh Sadeghi initially had fairly normal interactions with this fan, she became fearful of the potential of harm due to receiving messages of “him crying and begging for me to pick up, him threatening to burn himself and the tree in front of my house, also telling me to either delete my Instagram account or make it public so he could see the content I post” (Burke, 2023, para. 9). Zohreh requested a protection order from this fan, but was unfortunately killed before the fan was served the order.

Conclusion

As the research highlighted, parasocial relationships can be very significant for individuals who lack connection in their personal lives and can be just as impactful as reciprocal relationships. Like with all relationships, there needs to be a healthy balance otherwise parasocial relationships have the potential to be damaging towards the individual and others around them.

If you find yourself struggling with loneliness, social connection, or the effects of your online relationships, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our compassionate team at Behavioral Health Clinic is here to help. Reach out to us today at 855.607.8242 or appointments@bhclinic.com to get connected with a provider who can support you