With her sudden rise to fame, Chappell Roan has experienced several instances of stalking and harassment from fans. Her recent experiences have raised concern about the harmful treatment of modern-day celebrities and the often delusional relationships that fans have formed with their favorite superstars.
Chappell Speaks out
On August 19, Roan posted a pair of videos via TikTok in which she bluntly addressed inappropriate fan behavior and firmly set boundaries with her fanbase.
“I don’t give a f— if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug,” Roan said. “It’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online.”
Throughout the videos, Roan criticized society’s misconstrued idea of acceptable fan behavior.
“I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people are famous,” Roan said.
Roan’s videos sparked major discourse online, as many users were divided between whether her criticisms of fan behavior were reasonable or not. Many users supported Roan in affirming her boundaries, while others argued that allowing the invasion of personal privacy is a sacrifice that a celebrity must make. Many felt that activities such as taking photos and giving hugs are simply a part of the job.
The entitlement fans feel to their favorite celebrities’ time and privacy can easily be attributed to parasocial relationships, a phenomenon that has been plaguing Generation Z in recent years.
parasocial impact
Dictionary.com defines a parasocial relationship as “a relationship that a person imagines having with another person whom they do not actually know, such as a celebrity or a fictional character”.
Invasive fan behavior has been apparent among generations, but as of recent years, Gen Z has especially fallen victim to parasocial relationships due to the effects of social media.
Research from the University of Cumbria suggests that Gen Z “may be more predisposed to parasocial interactions from activities involving social media and digital platforms.”
“Fans develop intense feelings about their favorite media character or celebrity, akin to having obsessional tendencies,” the Cumbria study explains. “They also personally engage with a celebrity’s artistic work and public persona to the point where they feel like they know the celebrity like a personal friend.”
Additionally, a 2006 study done by David Giles and John Maltby, classifies the different types of parasocial relationships that one can develop, one of those relationships being classified as “borderline-pathological“. A borderline-pathological parasocial relationship can be described as when “a person can no longer control their thoughts, feelings, or (in some cases) their behavior”. Giles and Maltby further inform that in extreme cases, these relationships can lead to stalking and violence.
These studies help to explain the copious amounts of stalking and harassment that Roan has faced since becoming an A-list celebrity.
Solutions
Since scholarly research proves that one-sided relationships are not only harmful to the celebrity, but also to the fan’s mental well-being, how can Gen Z stop the harmful effects of parasocial relationships?
The answer lies in clinical psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD who suggested in an interview with The Cleveland Clinic that ending a parasocial relationship starts with acknowledging the fact that you are in one.
“Get honest with yourself about how you’re feeling,” Borland advises.
The Cleveland Clinic article further states that taking a break from social media, focusing on real-life relationships, and speaking to a therapist are additional effective ways of ending a harmful parasocial relationship.
Although we are currently seeing an uprise in toxic relationships between celebrities and Gen Z fans, hope lies in the effective methods of putting an end to parasocial relationships for good.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!