Parasocial relationships as functional social alternatives during pandemic-induced social distancing.

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled people to engage in social distancing protocols that increased media exposure and transitioned social interactions to digital spaces, providing a unique context to study the compensation function of parasocial relationships (PSRs) with fictional characters and celebrities. Published analyses from a 4-wave panel survey conducted with U.S. adults (N = 166) during the pandemic revealed that decreased face-to-face interactions and increased mediated interactions with friends predicted PSR growth (Bond, 2021). This study concluded that pandemic-induced reliance on screens to engage with real-life friends may have blurred the cognitive distinctions between real-life friends and liked media personae, thereby strengthening PSRs. The present study aimed to further investigate this line of reasoning by incorporating parasocial interaction (PSI) into a secondary analysis of the longitudinal data. Participant-reported liked media personae were coded for their PSI potential, defined as likelihood of engaging audiences in illusory interactions. Results suggest that PSRs experienced significant growth during the pandemic, particularly PSRs with media personae more likely to invoke PSI among those who also increased their mediated social interactions with real-life friends. These findings support and extend the conclusions of the initial analyses: PSRs may serve a compensation function during social distancing, and increased exposure to real-life friends through screen media may blur the lines between the social and parasocial, increasing the value of PSRs during social distancing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Individuals develop affective bonds with favorite celebrities and fictional characters known as parasocial relationships. Parasocial relationships provide companionship, especially when the liked media personae are depicted performing cues that encourage illusory interactions among viewers and when individuals are dependent on mediated social communication to sustain their real-life social relationships. The function of liked media personae as components of individuals' social circles more closely mimics real-life friends during periods of media dependency and, in turn, could serve beneficial emotional and coping purposes during global crises that stymie social relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)