Parasocial interaction (PSI)

A parasocial interaction (PSI) is an imaginary interaction with a media figure that occurs during a discreet situation in which one is engaging with some form of media. Such interactions are a fundamental element of the broader concept of parasocial relationships, which is a one-sided relationship an individual media user engages in with a media personality they do not actually know in real life. In many cases, PSIs ultimately lead to parasocial relationships. People usually form these relationships with celebrities, fictional characters, or social media personalities they encounter while consuming various types of media.

There are three main types of parasocial relationships: entertainment-social, intense-personal, and borderline-pathological parasocial relationships. Engaging in PSIs and parasocial relationships can impact people in different ways. While some may be negatively influenced by PSIs and parasocial relationships, even to the point of putting themselves or others in potential danger, others may actually benefit from this unique form of social interaction.

Background

Individuals may experience several different interpersonal relationship types and associated social interactions. The most common of these include family, friends, romantic, platonic, and professional relationships. The most important and influential of all these types of relationships are family relationships. Because most individuals are either born or adopted into a family at the beginning of their lives, family members are the first people with whom they share interpersonal relationships. The way an individual interacts with their family often shapes who they are personally and how they will go on to interact and have interpersonal relationships with other people. Family relationships and the interactions people have with their family members can also sometimes be turbulent in ways that their relationships and interactions with others may not be.

Friendships are another key type of interpersonal relationship. In many cases, friendships offer individuals a greater sense of connection and serve as a more important source of support than family relationships. This is primarily because, while family relationships are determined by nature, friend relationships are specifically sought out. In addition, strong friendships are built on mutual trust, transparency, unconditional support, and common interests. This helps to make friendships among the most reliable types of interpersonal relationships.

Romantic relationships are usually the most emotionally and physically intimate type of interpersonal relationship. These relationships are built on deep bonding, trust, and respect. Romantic relationships are also often among the longest-lasting types of interpersonal relationships.

Some close interpersonal relationships may be classified as platonic relationships. While these relationships are built on a close bond and feelings of attraction or fondness between unrelated people, much like romantic relationships, platonic relationships do not involve sexual desire. Even without a physical component, these relationships can be very deep and abiding.

Professional relationships are the interpersonal relationships an individual shares with their coworkers. Employees who share healthy relationships and feel connected to each other tend to be more productive and efficient. This is good for both the employees themselves and the businesses for which they work.

These are the most common types of interpersonal relationships. However, individuals may form other types of relationships as well, such as parasocial relationships.

Overview

All types of relationships involve some form of social interaction between individuals. Most of the time, these social interactions take place between people who really know and have direct contact with each other, but that is not always the case. Some social interactions are considered one-sided, meaning that they involve one individual interacting on some level with another person they do not really know and with whom they are not in direct contact. PSIs are an example of this sort of one-sided social interaction.

Specifically, a PSI is an imaginary social interaction an individual has with a media figure in the course of a discrete situation. This means that PSIs approximate a conversational exchange and take place only when a media user is engaging with the work of a media personality. One way to understand the experience of a PSI is to imagine a person watching a television show like Cheers or Friends and feeling like they are one of the group of characters on the show. In this scenario, viewers feel like they are interacting with the people they see on their television screen, even though they are not really with those people. This is the full extent of a PSI. Any interaction beyond a person simply engaging with a piece of media and feeling as though they are interacting with a personality within it rises to the level of a parasocial relationship.

More than a simple interaction, a parasocial relationship is an ongoing, one-sided bond with a media personality. This long-term, friendship-like bond extends beyond a single viewing, listening, reading, or gaming situation. In many cases, PSIs are the foundation of parasocial relationships, providing early interactions with a media personality that can evolve into a parasocial relationship over time. By the 2020s, with the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of large language models like ChatGPT, some experts had noted that this technology had opened up media users to another kind of digital parasocial relationship.

Three types of parasocial relationships exist: entertainment-social, intense-personal, and borderline-pathological. Entertainment-social parasocial relationships are the most common and least harmful type. In these relationships, the media user simply maintains a strong interest in a media personality because they find that personality compelling. Intense personal parasocial relationships involve a greater degree of attachment. Although the media user is aware that their relationship with the media personality is not real, they are not fully in control of their feelings. This means that their attachment may easily become an obsession. In borderline-pathological parasocial relationships, the media user fully loses control over their thoughts and feelings, or sometimes even their behavior, toward the media personality. This type of parasocial relationship can escalate into activities such as stalking or violence.

While serious risks are generally limited to the most extreme cases, parasocial relationships can have some potential drawbacks. Among other things, having a parasocial relationship with a media personality can influence a media user’s views, decisions, attitudes, and behaviors in various ways. Engaging in parasocial relationships can also be problematic for people dealing with mental health problems like depression or anxiety. On the other hand, parasocial relationships may also have some potential advantages. In many cases, engaging in a healthy parasocial relationship can increase an individual’s sense of belonging, reduce loneliness, and help strengthen their other real-life social relationships.

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