The online drama between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber continues. Recently resurfaced videos, fan intervention, and perhaps a 3-way parasocial relationship is in play.

UPDATE: The recent murder of podcaster Dr. Zohreh Sadeghi is a case of a parasocial relationship gone wrong. The popular influencer and her husband were murdered by a stalker-fan on March 9.

Writer Meredith Clark recently detailed the cultural obsession with a decades-old feud between the influencers. And points out that something bigger is going on here.

Selena’s with her fans is partly why the internet is largely on her side. The brutal Instagram comments are directed toward Hailey. 

It is positive to be open and vulnerable with your fanbase. But the more invested they are the more volatile a parasocial feud can become.

Parasocial relationships

A parasocial relationship refers to the one-sided, pseudo-friendship that audiences form with media personalities or personas. The term was first coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl to describe how consumers interact with media figures.

In the internet age, the term has become a buzzword used to describe various reactions to media events and celebrities.

Elizabeth Perse, a professor emeritus of communication at the University of Delaware, is an expert in mass media. And its impact on society. 

Her work focuses on how individuals form relationships with media and the consequences of these relationships.

 According to Perse, parasocial relationships are formed in a way that is similar to actual friendships, but they are not the same.

Perse said in a recent interview that “A parasocial relationship is a kind of pseudo-friendship that audiences have with media personas or personalities. I use the word ‘personality’ because what audiences see through the media certainly is not necessarily what the personality is in real life.” 

Before social media, parasocial relationships were formed based on the amount of exposure someone had to a personality on their television screen. As with actual friendships, the more you interact with a person, the deeper your friendship (or parasocial relationship) grows.

The formation of parasocial relationships is also based on the identification people feel with the media personality. This sense of similarity arises because the personality self-discloses through the medium. And audiences learn about them and feel a sense of kinship with them. 

In reality, these relationships are one-sided, and the media personality is not very aware of the individual audience member.

Perse's work aims to understand how parasocial relationships affect individuals and society as a whole. She believes that by understanding these relationships, it is possible to mitigate their negative effects and enhance their positive benefits.

People may develop unrealistic expectations of the social media personalities they follow. And this can lead to disappointment and disillusionment.

Parasocial relationships can also provide a sense of community and belonging, particularly for those who feel isolated or marginalized.

UPDATE: The recent murder of podcaster Dr. Zohreh Sadeghi is a case of a parasocial relationship gone wrong. The popular influencer and her husband were murdered by a stalker-fan on March 9.