Parasocial Romantic Relationships: Falling in Love with Media Figures - Softcover

Tukachinsky Forster, Riva

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1793609608 ISBN 13: 9781793609601

Publisher: Lexington Books, 2023

Synopsis

Parasocial Romantic Relationships: Falling in Love with Media Figures explores how, why, and to what effect individuals develop romantic feelings toward people they “know” from the media. These imaginary, one-sided relationships, dubbed parasocial romantic relationships, are both profound and pervasive, Riva Tukachinsky Forster argues. These relationships can take many forms, including adolescents who develop celebrity crushes on popular music artist, anime enthusiasts who “marry” their favorite characters, and fanfiction authors who insert themselves into narratives as romantic interests of the protagonist. Through analysis of surveys, in-depth interviews, and historical examples, this book advances our understanding of parasocial romantic relationships on both a sociocultural and a psychological level. The data and theories analyzed offer insights into how individuals can become romantically engaged with people they do not actually know, some of whom may not even exist in reality. Ultimately, Tukachinsky Forster argues that although these relationships exist only in the mind of consumers, they serve important psychological functions across different stages of life and can lead to significant consequences for individuals’ nonmediated relationships. Scholars of media studies, communication, psychology, and sociology will find this book particularly useful.

About this title

About the Author

Riva Tukachinsky Forster is associate professor in the School of Communication at Chapman University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1793609608
• ISBN 13: 9781793609601
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 170