Over here in the illusion we call reality fans are raving about the actor Josh Hutcherson. ‘’Marry me, Josh Hutcherson!’’ Crazy fans would say along with the ridiculous edits and memes based off of a guy fans hardly know, the fans hardly know him but love to love him. Which goes on to say how people who admire someone can put regular people on pedestals idolizing them as if they were God’s when they are simple human beings that go to the bathroom just like you and me.

Parasocial relationships can provide a sense of comfort or safety for an individual, while not a real sense of security they can however provide a false one. Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships where an individual extends energy, effort, and time into another person; however, the other person is completely unaware of their existence. These parasocial relationships can happen with celebrities, everyday people, youtubers, influencers, etc. people or organizations whom they do not really know. Parasocial relationships serve as a way to falsely live out a false relationship with someone they ‘’admire.’’ In some cases, it can be good because it can give people inspiration and hope to be whoever they want to be and help people get the motivation to do what they want to do.

Parasocial relationships can help live out a fantasy for someone that just is not going to happen. And for some people these relationships can get a bit extreme such as having a heavy fixation on a person that could lead to stalking, harassment, or even harming someone. Parasocial relationships are okay to a certain extent but when someone considers harassing someone over this false reality, they’re living in it can turn deadly. Like the Jenna Marbles fiasco, a famous influencer that left YouTube over a past video where she put on blackface, she later left YouTube because of it and has not come back since. Ever since then she had gotten a stalker who tried to break into her house and her husband had to pepper spray them. Or the stalker who trespassed into Nancy Pelosi house and violently attacked her husband because of different political views.

These ‘’connections’’ can affect other people’s lives including celebrities such as heavily focusing and getting way too invested in a celebrity’s love life. Not to say anyone who has a parasocial relationship is a bad person because it’s not just that it can sometimes get unhealthy. Some people who have parasocial relationships have it because it’s fun, fun to dream about something even though it is not going to happen. Or because they really admire the person and respect them, which is also okay, it is okay to have role models who respect people that is perfectly fine. And then there’s other people who get really obsessed and take it out on the idolized person. Which can turn into harassment, stalking, hurting someone, etc. which can all come from an unhealthy parasocial relationship.

These relationships are important because it definitely shows that people should not be putting celebrities or any other person on a pedestal, and that people should be equals. Mainly we should not put so much emphasis on people that we do not really know. Also goes to show that celebrities, influencers, etc. are regular people who deserve to be treated with basic human decency and respect. Fans may say ‘’Marry me Josh Hutcherson,’’ but in reality, they are most often lonely and find these kinds of connections as a way to fill the void of a relationship they can never have.