The Benefits of Joining a Fan Club
How Admiring Celebrities or Movie Stars Increase Self-Esteem
Jun 7, 2008
When you admire a movie star or celebrity, you’re engaging in a “parasocial relationship” – and the benefits of joining a fan club may surprise you.
The Benefits of Joining a Fan Club
Research from the University of Buffalo in New York shows that the benefits of being in a fan club (or simply being a fan of a rock band, movie star, athlete, or politician) include increased self-esteem and better interpersonal relationships.
Jaye L. Derrick and Shira Gabriel studied 100 university undergraduate students, and examined the relationship between low self-esteem, parasocial relationships, and reported self-discrepancies. In this study, participants described their favorite celebrity in an essay. These researchers used the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to assess how the participants felt about themselves (their self-esteem).
Derrick and Gabriel found that parasocial relationships increase feelings of self-worth, because they help you feel closer to the ideal you may hold for yourself. Parasocial relationships can also help you if you’re not comfortable with “real” interpersonal relationships.
Low self-esteem stems from wishing you were somehow better than you are, or not feeling good enough. This research shows that if you’re struggling with low-self esteem, you may see celebrities or movie stars as similar to your ideal self. The key to increasing feelings of self-worth lies in whether or not you’re moving towards your ideal self. If you're a fan of a rock star, you may feel that you're moving closer to your ideal self.
How Parasocial Relationships Increase Self-Esteem
In a parasocial relationship, you have a low risk of rejection, which means you aren’t faced with the possibility that the rock star, celebrity, or politician that you admire won’t like you. Parasocial relationships help you come closer to your real or ideal self – the person you wish you were – which increases feelings of self-worth.
“Even ‘fake’ relationships with celebrities, relationships without any actual contact, can have benefits for the self,” write the authors. “We found that parasocial relationships can sometimes have benefits for people with low-self esteem that ‘real’ relationships do not.”
Real interpersonal relationships don’t offer the same benefit, (moving toward an ideal self). Real interpersonal relationships come with tension, arguments, rejection, and possible reconciliation – all of which can take a toll on your self-esteem.
There's nothing to lose in a parasocial relationship, which is why so many people are fans of celebrities, why they join rock star fan clubs, and why they're addicted to celebrity gossip.
If you found The Benefits of Joining a Fan Club interesting, you might enjoy:
Source: Wiley-Blackwell (2008, June 6). “Admiring Celebrities Can Help Improve Self-esteem.” ScienceDaily.
 |
