When news about Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's breakup made headlines, many Swifties were upset. Several were even in denial and were unconvinced about the split; here's what a psychologist said about the fans' reaction.
Taylor Swift's Fans' Reaction to Joe Alwyn Split Explained
Kate Kurtin, a professor at Cal State Los Angeles who has studied parasocial relationships, joined NPR's Ayesha Rascoe for its "Weekend Edition Sunday," discussing the Swiftie's reaction to the celebrity breakup.
Rascoe mentioned that the dramatic reaction where fans felt personally affected by Swift's breakup from her boyfriend of six years was due to a parasocial relationship, which is a one-sided connection people form with individuals or characters they never meet, like celebrities.
According to Kurtin, as a fan, one picture themselves as among the countless individuals who would follow the Beatles and collapse outside their hotel room when the band looked at them.
In contrast, one of the queries they pose to someone in a parasocial connection is, "Do you want to invite this person to your birthday party?" Apparently, they want to hang out with the person. They want more than just a distant glance at the celebrity they idolize. While they won't break barriers to be in the celebrity's presence, they believe they would get along well if they hung out together.
As for fans feeling sad about Swift losing the love they thought was the one for her, Kurtin said she loved the reaction. The psychologist said she adored that Swift's supporters are grieving with her. The expert explained that we all had love songs, but those songs turned out to be breakup songs.
Kurtin said Swift educates many young people on how to think about love; for some individuals, it feels very raw. Kurtin appreciates that they are communicating about that in a very real way because these relationships are real. They satisfy our demand for interpersonal connection, she added.
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What Are Parasocial Relationships?
According to Find a Psychologist, parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships. One person extends emotional energy, interest, and time while the other party is completely unaware of the other's existence. This type of relationship is common among celebrities, TV stars, and organizations like sports teams.
In order to eliminate the possibility of rejection and provide people the freedom to emulate and connect with those who innately inspire an empathic reaction, parasocial partnerships broaden the social network. Some people find relief in the one-sidedness of the relationship as a result of their real-life, tense complementing relationships.
The media encourages parasocial ties to imitate interpersonal ones. As we exchange so many encounters with John Daily, Justin Beiber, or Jay-Z over time, we feel a sense of closeness and connection with the 'media user' and believe they are familiar with and comprehend us.
Parasocial relationships used to mostly involve television personas. These connections now exist between people and their favorite gamers, bloggers, and social media users.
Additionally, parasocial connections have changed in terms of intimacy and nature. Celebrities freely discuss their ideas and actions on numerous social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, while reality television allows viewers to see the most private and intimate aspects of television characters' lives.
Additionally, media users can access the Internet whenever they want, and greater Internet dependence may increase parasocial interactions. Although parasocial interactions are still one-sided, they have evolved into more dynamic settings that enable people to connect with their media personas, strengthening and deepening the intimacy of the parasocial relationship.
According to studies, parasocial partnerships are voluntarily entered into, offer companionship, and are affected by social attractiveness. Additionally, viewers develop a bond with the media user and show them feelings of love, thanks, longing, support, and devotion.
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