Korean celebrities and unintended impact: A closer look at parasocial relationships and how they affect interpersonal bonds

Scrolling through Instagram, one is sure to come across a fan-edit reel of a celebrity with the ‘Point of View' trend dubbing them as their partners. In an era defined by digital connectivity and the global reach of pop culture, the phenomenon of parasocial relationships has emerged as a compelling yet often overlooked aspect of modern life.

Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the world's fascination with Korean celebrities, whose widespread popularity transcends borders and languages.

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Korean entertainment, particularly K-pop and K-drama, has grown to become a cultural juggernaut, capturing hearts and minds across continents. The allure of charismatic idols and captivating actors often goes beyond mere admiration; it fosters a sense of closeness, even intimacy, between fans and their idols. This one-sided emotional connection, known as a parasocial relationship, allows fans to feel deeply connected to celebrities they have never met.

While parasocial relationships are not exclusive to Korean celebrities, the intensity and global scale of the K-wave phenomenon amplify their prevalence. Fans invest their time, money, and emotions into following their idols' lives, from concert tours and social media updates to tracking their everyday activities. In return, they receive a semblance of connection, albeit one-sided, that provides a sense of belonging and purpose.

However, as these virtual connections flourish, concerns have arisen about their impact on real-life interpersonal relationships. Critics argue that the time and emotional energy devoted to parasocial relationships can potentially erode the depth and authenticity of personal connections with friends, family, and romantic partners. This news report aims to uncover the nuanced dynamics at play when parasocial relationships intersect with the intricacies of human bonds.

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Orlinda Fernandes, the Admin of the Facebook page India Korea Friends Mumbai, affirms that she too has witnessed people transcending boundaries and claiming a stake in celebrities. She said that she has witnessed people engage in fights over someone's opinion about a popular band's music and its evolution.

Fernandes, who has been a Korean drama aficionado since 2008, said that audiences' access to celebrities has increased with the advent of the internet and social media in comparison to what it was like when she began consuming the content in the late 2000s.

"After the introduction of Facebook, many groups mushroomed where fans of an artist would gather and discuss their work. These groups were essentially fandoms which gradually fuelled parasocial relationships. Earlier, the husband, partner and other titles for celebrities were used in good humour and jest; however, over time it turned bad as people began obsessively chasing down the stars," she pointed out.

She elucidated that parasocial relationships became more prevalent due to social media. It offered a platform where people could speak about their obsessions and frustrations. The internet's offering of anonymity emboldened them further, she remarked.

In contemporary society, the boundary between a celebrity and an audience member has been increasingly blurred with reality television and social media. Celebrities now invite their fans into their personal lives through intimate online interactions.

Does this allow an audience member to transgress the invisible boundary that exists between the celebrity and them?

Orlinda believes that it is pivotal to differentiate between the reel and the real lives of a celebrity. Citing examples of how certain Korean celebrities were chided for smoking, she said, "The celebs have their own private lives apart from their public persona, but some think that they do not have that agency. People critique them for things like smoking but the fans fail to realise that they are adults and that the stars do not owe them anything."

"I will not name, but a member of a Korean boy band had to bear the wrath of sasaengs for getting married and having a child," she mentioned and added, "The fans come down heavily on idols for not living up to the ideals they set up in their minds for them. Their reel and real lives are different and the fans need to understand it."

A sasaeng or sasaeng fan is a South Korean term for an obsessive fan who acts in ways which invade the privacy of Korean idols, actors or other public figures.

Notably, PSRs have become prevalent; however, it needs to be examined as to what psychological factors are contributing towards the formation of such relationships. Mental health professionals attribute this to multiple reasons.

Rupa Chaubal, Consulting Psychologist and Trauma therapist based in Mumbai opined that these parasocial relationships become a source of validation and comfort for individuals. The persons, by way of emulating the perceived good traits of an individual, live vicariously through celebrities.

Meanwhile, Dr Anshu Kulkarni, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, said it is a spectrum. "The people may have a liking towards the individual celebrity as some part of the interface may just be appealing. Hence, the public begins to follow them and they may also ape them and try to establish contact with them through social media. Often people [who develop parasocial relationships] are seen to have not so stable social relationships."

Dr Kulkarni added some could develop these parasocial relationships due to the presence of self-doubt and low self-esteem. "There could be a pathological aspect to why people form these relationships apart from personality and behavioural reasons," she said.

Fans by way of interactive shows get to establish a stable connection with celebrities that they do not have in real life. Since the stage is online, the control of the relationship is also in the audience's hands; that is why they feel more in control.

Chaubal, who echoed similar views, remarked that audience members often do not understand the amount of time, energy, and emotions from their hobbies they are channelling toward the parasocial relationship. When the parasocial relationship borders on obsession, it gets in the way of a person's normal functioning, she pointed out.

When asked about the effects of parasocial bonds on an individual's personal life, the trauma therapist said, "If a person is in a parasocial relationship with a celebrity, it could lead to the development of insecurity in their partner's mind. They may constantly think that they are not enough or their partner may feel inadequate in comparison to the celebrity who has been placed on a pedestal," she said.

Elaborating on its effects on other bonds, she remarked that many people, especially those who are adolescents or young adults, socially ostracised themselves. They see non-acceptance of their views on a celebrity as an extension of them is unacceptable.

The psychologist said one of her younger clients, in a drastic move, had cut their friends off owing to their differences of opinion about a celebrity, she said adding that such self-isolation leads to a diagnosis of anxiety and depressive disorder.

"Many people also have body image issues. The younger lot has an impressionable mind and constantly seeing the celebrities they follow look a certain way influences their perception of their bodies," she added.

When asked about tell-tale signs of a person having an unhealthy parasocial relationship, Dr Kulkarni said, "If there is excessive time spent thinking about a celebrity which is affecting their schedule, if the real-life relationships become very few and there are behavioural changes like appetite changes are the hallmark of something changing."

Rupa says that to cope with the unhealthy parasocial relationship, recognition of the issue is pivotal. She says it requires introspection on the part of the audience member to understand whether their likeness towards a celebrity is harmless or has become unhealthy. Secondly, she suggested having digital boundaries is essential.

Dr Kulkarni also advised limiting digital interaction and trying to socialise with friends and family is pivotal. She suggested that if persons find it difficult to deal with things by themselves, they should approach a mental health care worker.