The concept of celebrities has always boggled my mind a little bit. The fact that there are certain people out there that are well known and loved by the vast majority, but will never get the chance to know even a fraction of those that worship their every move. I always think about how ridiculous it would be if this was also the case in the animal world. Can you imagine certain animals being idolized the way we idolize celebrities?

Now, in no way am I saying it is wrong to fan over celebrities. The reason we do so initially is because they produce something that caters to our wants, leading to us caring about the individual themself. We find ourselves tuning into articles and videos that not only cover what they are up to in their careers, but their personal life events as well. The line between being a fan of someone’s public persona and feeling like you know them personally can inevitably then become fuzzy. This can develop into an unhealthy obsessive one-sided bond, referred to as a parasocial relationship.

Someone that comes to my mind who had to suffer the repercussions of these kinds of relationships is Princess Diana. Known as the Queen of Hearts, it is apparent that she was very loved in the 90’s and even to this day, that love for her has only seemed to increase. Whether it was due to her many charitable contributions or simply because of how unapologetically she was herself, people became obsessed with her. This international recognition amongst the public came with the price of her privacy. The adoration led to pictures of her being worth large amounts of money, causing the paparazzi to never leave her be. This constant intrusion caused by them eventually went too far, leading to her untimely death.

Even though that unfortunate incident happened over 25 years ago, the prevalence of parasocial relationships has only gotten more out of hand with the addition of social media. Increased accessibility to personal lives from those platforms has made it easier to connect with celebrities. The photos and videos they post are often personalized, thus causing the fans interacting with them to feel as if there is a deeper connection present. It can create the feeling of being in a relationship the more they discover how relatable their favourite celebrities are, increasing that emotional attachment to a person that does not even know they exist. This entitlement and access to celebrities’ lives can easily cause individuals to lose sense of reality, which is when the obsession can become dangerous. 

It is completely fine to care about who celebrities are as people, so we are not supporting someone who goes against our values. However, it is crucial to recognize that at the end of the day, they are just people like us that we do not completely know personally. They may be more prominent than the general public, but they are not necessarily who we would associate with in our daily lives. Celebrities will make mistakes by saying things we never would agree with or making choices that we never would ourselves.

We need to comprehend that the people who create our favourite songs or star in our favourite movies are unfamiliar people on a personal level. We do not truly know if their interests align with our own, which if they do not, can evoke escalated emotional reactions within fans that may take things too far. Personally, I actively separate the artist from their work, allowing me to further establish that I do not know this person, but I like what they have created. When I discover that certain celebrities go against my morals, it does not take an emotional strain on me when I refrain from further supporting their work. The blurry line between the distinction of admiration and obsession becomes clearer. 

Recognizing the difference helps us maintain healthy boundaries and understand that while we may adore their work, these celebrities essentially remain internet strangers.