Capitalism: The Root of Growing Parasocial Relationships
Today, American society and culture are ruled by media, and many of the younger generations spend a significant chunk of their day engaged in some form of media. With the tap of a finger, you can communicate with anyone from anywhere at any time. Despite this, people in the younger generations have been described as the loneliest generation. Social media is both a root of this issue and a way to cope with loneliness. A parasocial relationship can be defined as a one-way relationship between two parties in which one expends all the emotional energy and time onto the other party, usually a fictional persona, who expends none. This kind of relationship has developed and become more popular in the current digital age. Individuals are using these relationships as coping mechanisms to supplement their lack of social connection in real life. Some even go as far as replacing their real-life interpersonal relationships with parasocial relationships with different media figures. There are many reasons a person can become susceptible to this practice such as an anxious attachment style, lack of social interaction, or frustration regarding real-life relationships.
While parasocial relationships may not always result in negative consequences for every individual it may lead to a larger issue within this person that could need to be addressed. Assessing the causes of parasocial interaction as a societal fault rather than an individual one is imperative because it allows individuals and their community to address the root specifically if this behavior has a negative impact on one's life. This paper aims to answer what are parasocial relationships, and how they manifest. What does the future of interpersonal connection look like with this behavior in mind? What effect does America's economic system have on this behavior? Parasocial Relationships are linked to anxious attachment and unmet social needs. Both these potential causes can be traced to unstable family systems due to systemic issues such as economic instability created by Capitalism.
One of the known links between personality and likeness to develop a parasocial relationship is having an anxious attachment style. Attachment style is a pillar of Attachment Theory, which is a psychological theory that states young children must develop a healthy relationship with a primary caregiver to develop normal social function and emotional development. "Anxious attachment styles have been defined by various terms, including ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized/disoriented among children and preoccupied, dismissive, and fearful among adults." (Reyes, 2010) The style of attachment that this paper focuses on is anxious or insecure attachment. Someone with an anxious style of attachment is likely to have developed an insecure relationship with their caregiver making them unsure if or when their emotional needs will be met. These insecure relationships may have presented as having their basic and emotional needs met but they weren't met promptly or consistently by the caregiver. (Ainsworth, 1989) Individuals that present with anxiously attached qualities are more likely to seek warmth and comfort in media figures that possess these qualities. This is because emotional warmth and comfort were not readily available to them during their childhood. These individuals often lack secure and stable connections because they do not understand how to create relationships of that nature. For this reason, they are more likely to seek that stability somewhere that behavior is perceived to be predictable and constant. Media figures such as celebrities and fictional characters are an appealing way to seek this connection. "Accumulating evidence suggests that humans can fulfill the need for social connection not only through actual relationships but also through symbolic bonds called social surrogates." (Gabriel et al. 2017)
The degree of parasocial interaction is entirely dependent on the individual's perception of the other persona, they can project their ideal image of a relationship partner, romantic or otherwise, onto this persona. For example, a lead character in a TV series may display qualities such as honesty or emotional availability, the individual may perceive these qualities as secure and trustworthy. If they lack secure and trustworthy connections in real life, they may supplement that need with a parasocial relationship with this fictional character. "Individuals may come to see media figures as surrogate attachment figures that are more accessible, reliable, and safe (i.e., free from rejection or disapproval) than close relationship partners in real life." (MacNeill, DiTommaso, 2022) The type of social surrogacy developed is dependent on what type of media persona the individual is using. A movie character doesn't allow for opportunities for interaction in the way an internet personality or celebrity can. The difference allows varying depths of the relationships. Parasocial relationships can vary from imagining oneself in a relationship with the persona to consistent social interaction with the persona. The ladder is more likely with internet personalities.
This connection can have either a negative or positive impact on that person's life. These secure relationships not only supplement social interaction but give them space to experiment or practice with these kinds of connections. This can be useful to them later in life when they are met with a similar situation with a real-life person. Parasocial relationships can also give the person an idea of what they are looking for in personal connection so that they can avoid unwanted or toxic situations in real-life. Using that character as a model of behaviors their friends or romantic partners should display, can have a positive impact on the individual. On the other hand, if the character or persona's behaviors aren't healthy then the modeled behavior will have a negative impact on that personal interpersonal relationships later in life. This is more likely to happen if they aren't aware of what a healthy relationship looks like. This scenario is likely with anxiously attached individuals particularly earlier in life because they don't have many examples of what relationships in general look like.
A second factor that impacts someone's likelihood of engaging in parasocial interaction is whether their social needs are being met. Community, a sense of belonging, and available emotional warmth are all social needs that are important to achieving high quality of life. Someone may have developed a secure style of attachment in their childhood but is lacking in social interaction in general due to various factors. These factors include a lack of social interaction, like a homeschooled teenager, low involvement in the community, bullying, or a lack of regular friendships. Humans are naturally social creatures who require social interaction to thrive in their environment. If these needs aren't being met the individual will look for it elsewhere. "...those who are psychologically vulnerable and at risk of the negative effects of isolation and rejection-are often the least able to obtain the benefits of social support and interaction. At those times social surrogates may be especially helpful because they offer the social benefits of real relationships with much lower risks of rejection." (Gabriel et al. 2017) Social media is often used as a surrogate for authentic social interaction. Parasocial relationships are a part of this network. This is common in parasocial interactions with YouTuber creators or influencers. A major part of building an online brand as an influencer is creating a following of people who view you as someone that can be trusted almost like a friend. A key factor in this process is an illusion of openness and genuine connection. Constant posting and lack of privacy usually given to strangers are tools that encourage this relationship. There are many reasons why an influencer may want to provide this kind of relationship however it is very different from the other end of the connection. For the viewer, this is a false friendship, a person that the individual can constantly interact in almost real-time. Someone closer that they have easier access to interact with. For some people, the comments section on a YouTube video or TikTok is the peak for their social interaction for the day.
Often, anxious attachment and unmet social needs or the inability to meet one's own social needs are the result of trauma. Systemic instability in different areas is often the root of this trauma. America is known for its individualistic culture, which is rooted in its connection to Capitalism. The capitalist culture incentives and often requires caretakers to spend a great deal of time outside of the home and not with their children. The time that they do spend at home is dedicated to meeting their basic physical needs for both themselves and their children. Phones and social media aren't the only large changes in families in the past few decades. The economic outlook is vastly different than those of previous generations. Today most families require two incomes, and long workdays to thrive in the current system. This takes away time from children which hinders their ability to develop secure attachments to their parents or caregivers. This situation is where insecure or anxious attachment styles are likely to develop.
COR (Conservation of Resource) theory is a community psychology-based theory. The main pillar of this theory states that the loss of material or psychological resources is inherently traumatic. "Thus, a main principle of COR theory states that those who have initially fewer resources on which to rely will be at far greater risk for more severe resource loss following a trauma compared with peers with greater resources." (Heath et al, 2012) Dramatic loss of these resources is also connected to ineffective coping mechanisms and attachment styles. In the case of economic trauma such as loss of housing, food insecurity, or needs like water or electricity. This loss and economic insecurity place extreme pressure on the adults within the family system. The trauma of one individual can spread and affects all parts of the family system. This is demonstrated in multiple such as modeling unhealthy coping mechanisms, fewer resources to devote to children, and reduced positive parent-child interaction. (Heath et al, 2012) This learned behavior has detrimental effects on the child's ability to seek social support from their community which can carry on to their adult lives. This inability creates a near-perfect breeding ground for using media as a social surrogate.
Even if a family does not experience and large, sudden loss of resources and instead was already poor, to begin with, it still creates the same level of trauma within the family. In America, poverty is traumatic. Individuals of the working class have less access to social engagement outside of work or school. Many school activities or sports require payment for equipment or uniforms. This effectively creates a barrier between working-class children and social engagement outside of school. This is also the case for school clubs and other activities. Many of the "third places" that individuals relied on for communal social gatherings are either costly or non-existent today. For example, in many places, kids and teens aren't allowed to gather at malls without adult supervision anymore. This was a common gathering place for individuals of that age group to experiment and experience wide optional group gatherings. Losing the opportunity for voluntary social interaction limits one's ability to develop positive social skills so one can get their social needs met.
In conclusion, anxious attachment and unmet social needs are direct causes for using parasocial relationships as a coping mechanism. The effects of parasocial interaction aren't always negative however it can have a serious impact on one's ability to interact with people if not investigated. Parasocial relationships can be used as a practice method for social interaction as well as a model of healthy relationships interaction and behavior, but on the other hand, it can be used as a crutch to limit one's ability to have real-life social interaction as well as model inappropriate behavior. The outcome is determined by an individual's attachment style and social skill level. Both are developed in early childhood. If a child has opportunities to engage in positive child-centered interaction with their parents or primary caregiver, they will usually develop a secure attachment style. If the child only receives conditional love and attention, they will develop an insecure attachment style. An insecure or anxious style of attachment is directly linked to developing parasocial interaction behavior, especially in a negative manner. Trauma also serves as a common cause of anxious attachment and social ineptitude. This trauma can be their own personal trauma like abuse or neglect but also witness the trauma of the family system and community around them. If their parents are suffering from trauma related to poverty or lack of resources, this directly impacts the child's ability to form proper social connections with their parents and community. Again, these ineffective, developed social skills can carry them later in life from adolescence to adulthood if not properly addressed. Parasocial relationships are used to cope with these pressures. The community that surrounds them affects the individual and if this community is operating under an ineffective social system like the one individualistic culture and Capitalism create unhealthy coping skills are developed.
Works Cited