Parasocial Relationships

[fishhead]

I learned about parasocial relationships a long time ago because multiple content creators I follow have talked about this and I did some research myself. And while part of me thinks these online personas are my friend, I know the relationships are one-sided and there's a fine line which I won't cross.

But ever since quarantine started, my parasocial relationships have become much more prominent. This makes sense considering the time on the internet instead of hanging out with real friends. :,) I have turned to these relationships to keep myself from feeling bored or lonely and fostered them into something I kind of worry about.

Not that I'm planning to spam or stalk or send any weird fan mail to any of the people I follow, but more along the lines of I can't miss any live stream events and it kind of controls my schedule, therefore it might be hard to return to the lifestyle I've had before the quarantine when the pandemic is over.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

that's an interesting point, this pandemic stuff must be a goddamn gold rush for streamers

ive also read that virtual-reality social gatherings are getting popular

 

[EndogenousRebel]

I think to see as I grew up in a time where the independent YouTubers rised and fell, with failed sellouts and conglomerations, I'm pretty disillusioned to it. It's only curiosity and maybe a little bit of wonder that makes me check up on certain people I still follow and are still somehow afloat in the content creating a business model.

Viewership will almost certainly increase. However, a sizable percentage of their pay depends on how much advertisers are willing to compete for ad space, which, well most people with half a brain are anxious to spend their money on non-essential things atm. This kinda fucks up streamers that have diversified their revenue streams, and while certain businesses, of course, do have the incentive to advertise because they do not have to cease production and there are people willing to continue buying their products/services, I think this will be outweighed by the fact that it's simply not enough competition. I only see the biggest fish benefiting from this (ie the corporations themselves,) as they can add to their numbers of how many people visited their platforms and position themselves as a smart investment to former and future stockholders. I don't know how much it cost to keep these platforms in operation, but this whole stock market collapse will only be a more than a mild bruise on the chin to them.

I don't watch enough streams to know this for sure (anyone that does have anything to say about it?) I saw one $500 a couple of days ago but didn't hear much about donations at all afterward. Of course, this amount of money is twice that of the average hourly wage of an American, but it was 3 streamers together, I don't know how they divvy it up or if they do at all. It must be a strange world.

 

[nanook]

I just went three or more months without a single bit of feedback, not even a like, because i didn't post one thing. Thats a new level of isolation, even for me. I feel like i may have a bit more appreciation for online dialogues. Or perhaps i am a bit more unfiltered in how i express myself, because i am less nervous about feedback, like i have nothing to loose. Its exciting, that some of what i am interested in is currently of interest to others as well.

I always crave some sensory stimulation. I can't just google or read pubmed all day long. I watch youtube videos about my subjects of interest, to experience something, including anything visual, faces, also voices. Being spoken to really ticks a nerve. I'd rather not have a realtioship with a specific youtuber tho. In rare cases i want to find out, if a certain comment can gain approval by others. More likely i think i know something people might want to know. I don't crave reocurring connections. Being known is stressfull.

 

[a_ghost_from_your_past]

Creationist Cat

I was a freakin' housecat dat was zapped by god true dee innernet. Now I'm an agent of da lord, Atheists Beware!

www.youtube.com

Internet Comment Etiquette with Erik

Follow Teacher Erik as he guides you through the muck of the internet. Together, we'll learn how to leave proper and respectful internet comments!

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Some More News

Hello, I am a news dude and, news-wise, here is some of it. Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/SomeMoreNews.

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Hot Dad

Like what I do? Consider supporting me on PATREON! I would be eternally grateful. :) https://www.patreon.com/hotdad?ty=h Formerly run by Erik Helwig and Alex...

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I promise, you won't form para-social relationships with these figures, because they are so self aware of their role and audience that they constantly undermine the formation of a para-social relationship.

 

[fishhead]

^ Jokes on you I watch Erik and Hot Dad already. Thanks for the recommendations though. Here's one for you if you like meta humor:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSGPehp0RWfca-kENgBJ9Q

 

[a_ghost_from_your_past]

^ Jokes on you I watch Erik and Hot Dad already. Thanks for the recommendations though. Here's one for you if you like meta humor:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSGPehp0RWfca-kENgBJ9Q

Very subversive, i like it. Thanks.

One more thing:

Comrade Pierre Tru-Dank

Syndical-communist, Marxist, Cockshottian, cybernetic squad, Sorelian, futurist, proletarian internationalist, economics student, lift brah, "gymcel", and mo...

www.youtube.com

 

[fishhead]

Cool channel, the art is good as well

Comrade Pierre Tru-Dank

Syndical-communist, Marxist, Cockshottian, cybernetic squad, Sorelian, futurist, proletarian internationalist, economics student, lift brah, "gymcel", and mo...

www.youtube.com

 

[moody]

I think this is why I've never done much with online communication. For me, there has to be a succinct point, such as there usually is in discussion threads on the intp forum. We are purely what we say and contribute to conversations here, it has nothing to do with who we are, what we do, what we look like, etc. If you take too much interest in a user, it can turn creepy really quickly because none of us really know each other.

 

[ZenRaiden]

Humans care what others human do. It is a good instinct to have. It helps survive.

Take for example monkey see monkey do behavior. Just emulate people who know what they are doing and eventually you will be like them.
Even if you suck and do not understand why someone does something it is still better than not doing anything.
If you want to be rich just emulate Bill Gates and soon enough you will find your self being rich. I am not kidding. There is lot higher chance you being rich if you do. Unless of course you know better. However most people are not that original.

 

[fishhead]

Humans care what others human do. It is a good instinct to have. It helps survive.

Even if you suck and do not understand why someone does something it is still better than not doing anything.

Good point, but bad behaviors get emulated as well. And you wouldn't know what's good and what's bad if you have no context. (I do agree with you, I am just playing devil's advocate)

 

[linnet]

I think we naturally adjust to situations like this. Because we have to and there's no overwhelming drive to flaunt it. We are happy enough usually indoors anyway. I don't think this will create a new normal... though it might increase people who decide to do phone call meetings or video meetings instead of meeting up some place as suddenly people just realize - hey it takes an hour out of my day! Instead of having meeting at my desk where I can just pick up the work where I left off. Suddenly the inefficiencies become much more blatant.


What might make it the new normal is if we forget that we need occasionally new challenges, sensations...etc to mark the passing of time. To live only in our minds and virtually can lead us to interesting places. To live vicariously through others is certainly quite fascinating. But as demotivating and often dull-moment it sometimes is I'd like to exercise some of these unexpected and fresh sensations for being alive once in a while - again.

 

[a_ghost_from_your_past]

The real question seems to be why you subconsciously crave to make a parasocial connection, it seems to me.

 

[fishhead]

The real question seems to be why you subconsciously crave to make a parasocial connection, it seems to me.

Not really, because I know why I do. It's mostly due to my lack of social connections during self quarantine.

 

[a_ghost_from_your_past]

The real question seems to be why you subconsciously crave to make a parasocial connection, it seems to me.

Not really, because I know why I do. It's mostly due to my lack of social connections during self quarantine.

True, obviously, that's a tautological argument.

Let me put it this way: some people, including myself, have lived the life of self-quarantine for years, without having an internal urge emerging to break their isolation.
As a matter of fact, more often than not, attempts to break this isolation result in frustrations and a disturbance of the overall mental calamity that is regularly observed in isolation.

Social science dogma is the kitchen sink psychology of "no man is an island".
Obviously the existence of the rising anti-social phenomena of hikikomori, social anxiety, high-functioning asperger's syndrome and schizoidism proves this a priori position wrong.

So the actual spectrum of normalcy is larger than is admitted to.