Author: Amal Bilal, Class of 2028

Figure 1. Woman wearing headphones while scrolling through YouTube

Parasocial relationships (PSRs) are one-sided relationships that one develops with media personae, such as celebrities, fictional characters, or social media influencers, who are incapable of returning sentiment. Recent studies suggest that one-sided relationships may serve as valuable social resources, fulfilling many of the same needs as two-sided relationships with close others and positively influencing one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. PSRs provide a more consistent resource, as they cannot reject, betray, or permanently leave someone. University of Essex researcher Veronica Lamarche and her team explored the extent to which people believe that PSRs and traditional two-sided relationships fulfill their emotional needs. 

The team conducted a study to test their hypotheses. Participants were recruited via survey links promoted by ten influential YouTube creators. The sample consisted of 1,688 participants, with 68.8% of them being female and the average age being 22 years old. Participants were asked to consider the effectiveness of strong and weak PSRs as compared to strong and weak two-sided relationships. For each of the four types of relationships, participants evaluated their need for emotional fulfillment, closeness, and perceived responsiveness through a series of questionnaires. 

The data illustrated that strong PSRs were rated as significantly more effective than weak two-sided relationships at fulfilling one’s emotional needs, and were also shown to be deeper. However, strong PSRs did not differ from weak two-sided relationships in a participant’s perceived responsiveness. Weak PSRs, in contrast, were deemed less effective for emotion regulation, less close, and less responsive than all other relationship types studied. Following the team’s hypothesis, strong two-sided relationships were rated as the most effective for regulating emotion, the most close, and the most responsive of all other relationships.

Although strong two-sided relationships were consistently shown to be the closest, most responsive, and most effective for fulfilling emotional needs, one-sided PSRs can fulfill one’s emotional needs similar to their traditional weaker two-sided relationships, and strong PSRs, in particular, are superior to weak two-sided ones at fulfilling emotional needs and forming close connections. Overall, PSRs may offer people care and support, amplify their moments of happiness, and are a valuable social resource that can help fulfill emotional needs.

Works Cited:

[1] Lotun, S., Lamarche, V.M., Matran-Fernandez, A. et al. People perceive parasocial relationships to be effective at fulfilling emotional needs. Sci Rep 14, 8185 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58069-9 

[2] Image retrieved from: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-wearing-white-headphones-12940845/