Diving Deeper into Parasocial Relations…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Parasocial relationships are increasingly becoming normal due to social media. Us as the audience get a glimpse into a celebrity’s life and what they do outside of being celebrity. This gives us a sense of connection and warmth. However, there are those who take that an extra step far and feel like they have a genuine connection to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brain storm of things I could possibly look into<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The differences between PRs in the West and East Asia<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cultural<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the west, having strong feelings towards a celebrity can be seen a negative thing. You will be made fun of, bullied and called delusional for engaging with someone that can’t reciprocate those feelings back. This is most common in large fanbases. The Swifties are notorious for being disliked by people who aren’t in the fandom. There was a famous video of a Swiftie unboxing Taylor Swift merch and people on TikTok immediately dogpiled on her. It wasn’t the fact that she bought merch from Taylor Swift, but the fact that she overreacted and displayed strong emotions. In the video she started shaking and crying from excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In comparison in East Asia, supporting your favourite idol as much as humanly possible, is seen as a good thing and is even praised. This completely boils down to societal culture.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There have been numerous instances in Asian idol fandoms where fans get upset when their favourite idol gets into a relationship, but in the West, we either don’t care or we fully support this celebrity. But why do fans in Asia hate it when it happens? The answer is simple, the companies of these idols support an obsessive culture like this. Idols are able to sing, dance, and perform- but their companies also market them as ideal boyfriend\/girlfriends. These companies reinforce parasocial relationships and make fans even more obsessed by getting them to purchase merchandise of their idol to make them feel like they are directly supporting them. Managers will set up fan signs so fans will spend unreasonable amounts of money just to see their idol in person rather than see them perform. This creates a false sense of connection, because in reality, these companies are just creating more saesangs. In idol culture, dating is strictly prohibited because it fuels the fan’s obsession. Charlotte (2024) Ayari (2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collectivist, individualistic mindsets, and conformity<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cultural<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference between individualism and collectivism is whether you would consider yourself to be independent and self contained. Or are you someone that is interconnected with other members of society, usually favouring the group rather than yourself? Culturally, people in the West are usually more individualistic whereas people from East Asian countries are typically more collectivist. Robson (2017)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In South Korea, celebrities and k-pop idols are being mass produced. The entertainment industry started at around 1997. If an adult or teenager is deemed attractive enough, they will be scouted and receive rigorous training to become a k-pop idol. The duration of this training periof is varied depending on the individual’s preferences and if they make the requirements to be in the industry. This training refines their singing, dancing, performance, and acting. This laborious training aims to make these people into well-rounded individuals. On the other hand, the Chinese entertainment industry developed a bit earlier after the implementation of reform and open policies. The entertainment industry focused more on traditional media such as film, music, and TV. Then later in the 2000s, the internet began to develop, which meant some talent shows would appear. From these talent shows, it would cultivate a lot of singers and idols. Shi (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the internet and media is developing, people are wanting to interact more with these celebrities. People are finding out more about these celebrities on media rather than books and newspapers. This means that the transfer and speed of information is not only faster, but this allows people to spend their leisure time finding more about these celebrities. Parasocial relationships between celebrities and fans are entirely dependant on how much money the fan has and on circumstance. Typically, when fans have more money, they can get the attention of their idol. Korean’s entertainment industry is made to foster parasocial relationships, however in China, due to the constraints and large population, it creates distance between fans and idols. Shi (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a Chinese society, many people find themselves lacking companionship and an emotional support system from their families and teachers. This is because ,most adults prioritise academics over companionship. The most popular way into China’s parasocial relationships is through online media. This is where fans seek insight into their favourite celebrity’s lifestyle. In South Korea, it enthusiastically promotes it’s entertainment industry. Despite the high revenue, this places a lot of pressure onto it’s idols and trainees. This in turn sacrifices their mental health. Shi (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion from this paper<\/h4><\/span><\/div>
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After reading this paper, I have found out that parasocial relationships aren’t just psychological. These relationships are formed through cultural, economic development and industry structures. In China, relationships are more controlled, distant, and symbolic whereas in South Korea, these type of relationships are participatory and involved.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Very recently in a Twitchcon event, one of the most popular streamers on the platform, Emiru, did a meet and greet. In this meet and greet she got assaulted by a fan, and she confirmed that he attempted to kiss her but failed to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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