1. Introduction
The 1990s played an important role in the shaping of the Korean economy. But amongst the biggest factors in its rapid development, was the Hallyu Wave: the Korean Wave. And within the Hallyu, was the global renoun of Korean popular music, that is, K-pop. Combining Western patterns of music production with the idol-culture from Japan, in the present time, K-pop has become globally adored by hundreds of millions, and have had an impact on the soft-power Korea holds in the contemporary world.
However, in the heart of K-pop are its fans. From Paris to Pune, we see an exceeding explosive enthusiasm and devotion fans hold toward their idols. This attachment style, is known as a Parasocial Relationship (PSR) which implies loyalty, affection, devotion or sentiment toward a person which is unilateral or one-sided in orientation. K-pop fandom spaces foster this attachment style, which has led psychologists to study these idol-fan relationships in depth to understand why K-pop culture specifically causes PSRs and what their positive and negative effects are.
2. What are Parasocial Relationships?
Attachment Theory was described at length by two specific psychologists, John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, in the 20th century, which seeks to develop the concept of the innate human desire to form strong emotional bonds with other humans, which is universally present in everyone. Hence, many attachment styles were developed by psychologists including positive and negative ones.
As mentioned earlier, a parasocial relationship is an extrasocial relationship which is unilateral in its orientation, or exists in only one direction as opposed to a reciprocal intersocial relationship. The term was first coined by Donald Horton and Richard Wohl in 1956, in which they described such relationships as “illusory” or superficial: relationships between the audience, and a persona (talk show host, actor, movie/film/literary character, influencer, musician and the like). Although healthy parasocial relationships may be positive, like positive role-modeling, but also negative when they get maladaptive, like overly-obsessive behavior. K-pop fandom spaces have cultivated both secure and maladaptive parasocial attachments between idols and fans, and hence is widely studied as its prime example.
3. Unique Formula for Parasociality
But this sense of intimacy [PSI] is often manufactured. It [K-pop industry] creates parasocial relationships, where one person feels a deep connection, but the feeling aren’t reciprocated.
Within this age of capitalism and consumerism, the K-pop industry utilizes the model of parasocial relationships which helps propagate or “sell” their idols to fans in the most efficient and fail-proof manner. This is done through many measures, and hence causes K-pop to become a gold-mine of such one-sided idol-fan relationships.
- Idol-Training and “Image”: K-pop stans are aware of the term, “image,” which becomes unique to this industry. Idols are heavily trained to display a perfect and flawless version of themselves both on social media and on the stage which allows fans to adore devotedly and follow after their idols, and moreover find peace and affection within them.
- Fan Engagement and Direct Communication: With the age of the Internet, the lines of parasocial communication have thinned and seemingly direct, one-to-many idol-fans interaction through WeVerse, Instagram or formerly V-Live or through applications like Bubble have become possible. Moreover, K-pop’s unique culture of fan-signings also create lines of communication between the idol and the fan. This creates the illusion of mutual connection. Moreover, idols addressing fans as if they were friends cultivates this further.
- Collective Fan Identity: Although not unique to K-pop, collective fan identity, like christening of fandoms like MIDZY (ITZY), CARAT (SEVENTEEN), and others, creates a sense of social belonging, community, emotional investment—as per the social identity theory propounded by Tajfel and Turner in 1979—and strengthens the parasocial relationship of the fan.
- Korean Traditional Values of “정” (jeong) and “우리” (uri): Korean concepts of collectivism (uri) and unspoken/tacit love and affection play an important role in the upkeep of parasocial relationships in K-pop.
All these reasons contribute to K-pop fans’ orientation toward PSRs.
4. Positive and Negative Effects
Psychologists Giles and Maltby in 2006, described the Levels of Parasocial Relationships, to describe levels of attachment at which these relationships are healthy or otherwise. PSRs, especially in the K-pop space, can be positive and uplifting, such as a feeling of friendship and belongingness toward fellow fans, or healthy vicarious catharsis, or emotional connection with idols or even motivation or comfort from idols. These engagements in moderation not only boost personal self-concept but also provide happiness and relief to fans during stressful situations or adolescence.
Moreover, good deeds of idols, such as donation to charity or relief ventures, and social activism cause positive influence toward fans and hence bolster empathy toward important causes and mobilization of opinion.
However, there is also a dark side to this devotion which is very evident in K-pop spaces. Many problems do surface, like over-spending and financial drain wherein fans pay exorbitant amounts to overconsume tens of albums to increase album sales or for photo-cards, or spend thousands of dollars on concert tickets or buying birthday advertisements. This ability of PSRs to get fans to spend is why the K-pop industry is adamant on strengthening them. This is commodified intimacy.
Moreover, K-pop idols’ perfect images, unhealthy eating-dieting patterns and perfectly curated bodies also cause body dysmorphia and eating disorders in, especially adolescents who try modeling these idols’ unhealthy routines and behaviors, sometimes undertaking unhealthy diets, like for example, a diet consisting only the intake of ice-cubes for days.
Sometimes the body dysmorphia may take a severe turn and cause a situation wherein, fans go out of their ways to look like their idols, ultimately resorting to plastic surgery, which is exemplified by the infamous case of White English internet personality Oli London.
The blurring of reality and fantasy in PSRs causes fans to undertake severe actions to get closer to their idols, wherein people confuse their parasocial relationship with an interpersonal bilateral relationship. Such fans are called, “사생팬” or “sasaeng fan” who are maladaptively obsessive, display stalking behavior and invade the privacy of their idols illegally. Activities attributing to these range from sneaking into idols’ homes uninvited, pulling their hair at fan-meets, leaving letters or underwear at their residences, to even kidnapping them and trying to force them into romantic relationships at the worst end.
Such cases may seem one-in-a-million, but this, deluded sense of obsessive attachment exists widely in K-pop to the extent, some fans begin to feel they know these idols personally and that they are entitled to a say in their lives. When idols act in a way to end this deluded sense of attachment, many obssesive fans begin to display what resembles attachment anxiety—a fear of neglect or abandonment by their idols. This is why many idols are met with scandals and schisms when they announce they are dating or are in a relationship or when they express opinions differing from the fans. This is due to fans’ belief in a sense, the idol is “dating” the fans and feel personally rejected.
5. Where to Draw Our Lines?
As K-pop fans, we all first of all, must be aware of the nature of an idol-fan relationship as strictly parasocial and to also recognize that not all parasocial relationships are bad. Even in lieu of personal experience, they inspire motivation, connection, stability and especially joy. But we should recognize signs of our closeness to our idols, turning into robotic obsession.