Amy confesses to having imaginary relationships with a whole bunch of people and we consider whether she is totally nuts or simply engaged in a bunch of parasocial relationships (or possibly both?). We go on to discuss the benefits of parasocial relationships for people with chronic illnesses, potential drawbacks for all parties involved, and what lessons social science has for us on the topic.

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Dear Deb,

I met you once in Nashville after a show and though my brain is foggy these days, it’s a moment I’ll cherish forever.

Years later, you gave me the gift of visiting my home state of Maine and - even better - presented a show that allowed a person like me (light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, all the dumb sensitivities) to stay for the whole thing and share my very favorite artist with my parents who’d come to tow to help with my caretaking.

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/dedication

CITED IN THIS EPISODE:

1. Horton, Donald, and R. Richard Wohl. 1956. “Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance.” Psychiatry 19 (3): 215–29.
2. Liebers, Nicole, and Holger Schramm. 2019. "Parasocial Interactions and Relationships with Media Characters–An Inventory of 60 Years of Research." Communication Research Trends 38(2):4-31
3. Struck-Peregończyk, Monika, and Iwona Leonowicz-Bukala. 2023. "Changing the Narrative: Self-Representations of Disabled People in Social Media." Przeglad Socjologii Jakosciowej 19(3):62-79.
4. Schiappa Edward, Gregg Peter B., Hewes Dean E. (2005), The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis, “Communication Monographs”,vol. 72(1), pp. 92–115, https://doi.org/10.1080/0363775052000342544

Intro music: Humoresque by Antonín Dvořák from Suzuki Flute School Volume 3; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

Outro music: Moon Over Ruined Castle by Rentarō Taki from Suzuki Flute School Volume 1; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

For more information, go to amyblackstonephd.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.