Parasocial Relationships

According to the text in chapter 9, a parasocial relationship is where "one party knows a great deal about the other party, but the other does not". In my case, I'm known to have, not one, but, two distinct parasocial relationships with the very talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a few of my favorite YouTubers. For JGL, or Joe as I like to refer to him, he basically is my soulmate; with a passion for creation, collaboration, performance, feminism, off-beat humor, and just being an all-around great guy, I feel like Joe and myself would be great companions (whether it be platonically or romantically). As described in the text, I definitely feel as though the bond of intimacy came into play as I viewed countless interviews, and becoming a member of his online media collaboration community, HitRecord.

As for the latter with my favorite YouTubers, a more platonic parasocial relationship came into play. When I was a freshman in high school, I discovered that there was more to YouTube than just gag clips and music videos: video blogging a.k.a. vlogging. I started subscribing to a few channels (VlogBrothers, 5 Awesome Guys, and VlogRamen to name a few) but it wasn't until I started subscribing to each of the collaborators channels where I truly began learning more about them in their daily vlogs and, therefore, creating a bond of intimacy and realism that really made me think I became more than just a viewer but a friend. And from there, of course, privacy would be present as the vlogger films from the comfort of his/her own home and allows the viewer to enter in their world for 3-5 minutes once or twice a week.

I think it's fascinating how we as human beings can develop this connection between a creator of content/media and a viewer. Of course, there are times, like in the Twilight article, where individuals take things too seriously, cause great strife in their real lives, and are unable to decipher what's reality and what's fiction. And with that, it could be potentially unhealthy for someone to pursue a poisonous relationship, especially a fictitious romance that gives false ideas of what eternal love truly is. I believe that there is a positive side of having these relationships with celebrities and/or their characters and it's important to just be aware that they are just a part of your life and not the pinnacle of your existence.