2023-06-04
Media and Society... are unrealized relationships fake?
Parasocial relationships and interactions are phenomena where one-sided relationships are formed when a person extends emotional energy, interest, and time towards media personalities, despite the personality being unaware of the other's existence.
Globalization and the advent of digital media expanded the way information through words of mouth, or oral communication, has been mostly used for passing stories and events. It is limtied limited in scope which the invention of scripts used in writing has overcome. Script as a media has served as a mode of exchange and storage of information.
This lead to advances in spread and complexity of both commerce and religion. The exchange, storage, and act of processing information has been a core requirement of globalization. Any advances among these thrree will inevitably cause cause advances in the definition, methods, and purpose of globalization.
Digital media brought forth all forms of pieces pieces of art. It may take in he form of digital music, digital photos, digital of books (more commonly referred to as ebooks), digital copies of engineering and architectural plans. In short, any form of information can be expressed and transmitted through digital means.
In status quo, media is a great tool for companies. They sell not only products but also the experiences that can be felt from consuming these products. It is an effective tool for profit.
KPop is a genre of music that originates from South Korea as a part of South Korean culture. It not only makes its fan experience the music but also the parasocial relationships with these KPop idols.
These parasocial relationships can be categorized from least intense to the most intense from fans being fans because of the entertainment, then fans having emotionally intense relationship with their idols such as having "biases" and knowing as much as what can be known about the idol and even religiously watching the livestreams and social media psots, to the most extreme where the fans over-identifies with the celebrity to the point their "fantasy" has become uncontrollable behavior.
These experiences are what forms the parasocial relationships.
Now what does this have to do with global media cultures?
These parasocial relationships affect the fans. It is undeniable that some fans have survived tumultous times because of their admiration to these idols. There are those who have been inspired to better themselves as they see their idols as role models.
With the death of a popular idol such as Moon Bin of Astro, fans have grieved as their idol has taken his own life. They are shocked deeply saddened by the news.
From this parasocial relationship that has formed between Moon BIn and his fans, the fans have really felt that they lost a close friend, a brother, a role model, and someone they admire.
They know that though it is a one-sided relationship, what they felt and how they are influenced by Moon Bin was real and have real consequences in their lives.
Though media was initially for the profit motive, the concept of Moon Bin as someone who is looked up to as a real person who influenced, existed and has suffered is the truth.