I understand a fantasy and a one time thing like tipping on a guys night out at a strip club, but some of these guys think they are in a relationship with someone they will never meet and don't even know their real name or life details.

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[–] 22 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Parasocial relationships are fucked and there's lots of chuds out there hyperfocusing on all the wrong things.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    I don't think a blanket statement about parasocial relationships is warranted at all based on some outliers.

    Being in a parasocial relationship is fine as long as both people are aware of this and feel comfortable with the position they're in. It's only when this isn't the case it becomes a problem, this isn't inherent to parasocial relationships and applies to a lot of relationships.

    I have a parasocial relationship with a certain Twitch streamer. I have no delusions about what that relationship is or isn't. I pay/donate because I value what this person adds to my life in the form of content and a community. The streamer is only vaguely aware of my existence and that's fine. I do not want to be a part of his life except as a community member in general and all he brings to my life is the entertainment and a cool place to hang out. I see this as a win-win scenario.

    Of course there are always whales who pay big bucks, but I feel most of them are like me, they just pay what they feel the value is. If I have a shitty week and the provided entertainment cheers me up, I might donate $10. If a rich whale has a shitty week and they get cheered up they might donate a 100 bucks. But there is no notice me senpai aspect or expectation this changes anything in the relationship.

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