Parasocial Behaviour Must Go!

Hello there Beauties!

I’m seeing more and more each day just how weird the world is starting to become. Parasocial behaviour is at an all time high and it scares me just as much as it peeves me. Parasocial behaviour, if you don’t know, is the act of having one-sided relationships with others, typically celebrities or sports teams. In these types of relationships, one party is unaware of the other’s existence, but unbeknownst to them. In other words, it’s obsessing over someone that doesn’t know you but believing that they do. I see this so often, especially on social media, and it is quite jarring. 

One type of weird parasocial behaviour that I see on the internet is people being off put by strangers breaking up/ separating/ getting divorced. Baby, you don’t know these people. Why are you so upset that they decided to call it quits? Two popular American social media couples announced that they were ending their relationship and the comments were full of “I have no hope left” and “I don’t believe true love exists anymore.” HELLOOOOO? Babes, that’s such a weird thing to say for a plethora of reasons: 

1. You don’t know these people from anywhere. I know you think you do based on the community they have let you in on on social media, but social media is not real life. 
2. They make and share planned-and-created-for-you content. It’s not reality. 
3. You don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes of their relationship. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot tell how a relationship is going based on a 3-minute TikTok video. Grow up. 
4. People are not perfect human beings. You guys put so many of these people on pedestals that you start to expect perfection from them. Cut it out. They’re only different from you because they chose to share parts of their life on social media. 
5. Regular imperfections human beings just like yourself should not be your “goal.” Stop idolising these strangers (and yes, emphasis on strangers) and their relationships. That’s weird. Saying you have given up on love because two people you don’t know from a can of paint have fallen out of love is quite absurd. Touch grass. 

We are sadly living in a world of idolatry of regular degular people and for what? The reality is, unfortunately, people break up/ fall out of love/ cheat/ grow apart/ move on. That’s life. It goes on. In the same way that death happens, life also happens. Why are we behaving like people don't break up all the time? That is so weird to me. 

Also, why can people not respect people’s privacy anymore? Why did the woman file for divorce privately and still had her business plastered all over social media? And yes, I know divorce is public record in the United States, but why are we actively searching through public record to “discover” people’s business? Doesn’t that scream crazy to anyone? Unemployment must be at an all time high. People should start suing more often so that you people find out the costs of minding other people’s business.  

And I’m not done. Why would you then go on another couple’s page, a couple who is seemingly content and in love, and comment, “please don’t break up or get divorced” and “you are our only hope?” Hope for what? How are you seriously defining love based on what STRANGERS curate for you on the internet? Why is a STRANGER’S relationship your goal? HELLOOOOO? Can we take a moment to consider how absolutely insane that is? Why are we normalising this behaviour?

I’m so peeved. Instead of seeing how normal relationships work from your parents, your friends, and your community, you’re forming weird parasocial relationships with strangers online. Are you this invested in your friends’ relationships and business? Unu weird man. Touch some grass. Please, it’s a new year. Let us start focusing more on ourselves and our lives. Watch the content. Enjoy the content. Move on. Please. 

My wish for you guys is individuality and sense. Please. 

Love from all ends, 

Bella