Morgan Cogo ‘25, Opinion Editor
A parasocial relationship refers to a one-sided relationship in which a person develops a strong sense of connection with someone they do not know, most often being celebrities or media personalities, also known as influencers. Recently, with social media being so prevalent in our lives, the rise in parasocial relationships has gotten to a toxic level, and many celebrities have spoken out about their past experiences.
We tend to think of parasocial relationships as something that only happens in the context of stan threads on Tumblr, spaces of the internet obsessed with every small thing a public figure does— a form of relationship that involves a mega-famous celebrity so far removed from regular people that it is impossible to connect with them any other way. However, parasocial relationships are actually everywhere across fandom spaces, and even other fans can be the subjects of this largely one-sided relationship.
American singer-songwriter and global popstar Chappell Roan has called out the “creepy behavior” she has experienced in person and online as her star status continues to build. Roan has recently gained more followers and fans of her music with the help of social media and that has catapulted her fame; however, her recent popularity has started to backfire. In two TikToks, she says she feels “harassed” and mentions her family being “stalked,” bullied online, and yelled at from car windows. Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, reached number one on the Official Chart earlier in August. Her pair of posts on the app have since been viewed more than 12 million times in total. “I don’t care that abuse and harassment is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous,” she says in one of the videos. “I don’t care that it’s normal. I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I’ve chosen. That does not make it OK. It’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and you listen to the art they make.” She continues in her post: “I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior. [Being a singer] doesn’t mean that I want it. It doesn’t mean that I like it. I don’t [care] if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug. That’s not normal, that’s weird.”
Roan is not the only famous name to warn fans about overstepping the line or to set boundaries for their fans based on difficult experiences. In 2022, actress and singer Keke Palmer posted on social media that “no means no, even when it doesn’t pertain to sex,” describing being filmed against her will in a bar. Justin Bieber has previously said he was “done taking pictures” with fans in an Instagram post. The Canadian star said he wanted to “keep his sanity,” with demands for selfies leaving him feeling like a “zoo animal.”
All in all, in this generation of social media and everything about everyone being available online, it is so easy to fall into that headspace of thinking you know a person and everything pertaining to their lives. It is a tale as old as Shakespearian plays, but now creators and celebrities are pushing back against the toxic behavior to which they are subjected.
Lyon Life 