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Description
"Young people have easy access to an array of fictional characters and celebrities, many of whom exist across platforms (e.g., protagonists from the graphic novel Heartstopper now appear in live-action on Netflix) and are manifested in toys and other merchandise. Children and adolescents often create powerful, socioemotional connections with fictional characters and celebrities called parasocial relationships (PSRs). Preschoolers clutching Elmo dolls, tweens fantasizing about interactions with TikTok influencers, and queer teens finding affirmation in a gay couple on Schitt’s Creek all hint at possible PSRs. These one-sided, imagined social ties might raise concerns for parents and other stakeholders; however, PSRs are generally normative and adaptive and provide many social affordances. Children and adolescents relate to media personalities in varied ways, and these connections can lead to a variety of outcomes ranging from improving school readiness to enhancing psychological well-being."
ISBN
978-3-031-69362-5
Publication Date
12-5-2024
Publisher
Springer Cham
City
Cham, Switzerland
Disciplines
Child Psychology | Communication Technology and New Media | Developmental Psychology | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Mass Communication | Other Film and Media Studies | Other Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts | Social Influence and Political Communication | Social Psychology
Recommended Citation
Bond, B.J., Dill-Shackleford, K. E., Dibble, J. L., Gleason, T. R., Jennings, N., Rosaen, S., & Forster, R. T. (2025). Parasocial relationships in children and teens. In: D. A. Christakis & L. Hale (Eds.), Handbook of children and screens: Digital media, development, and well-being from birth through adolescence (pp. 239-244). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69362-5_33
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Psychology Commons
Comments
In Dimitri A. Christakis and Lauren Hale (Eds.), Handbook of Children and Screens: Digital Media, Development, and Well-Being from Birth Through Adolescence.