Relationships we form with fictional characters

In early February, TIME released an article in their TIME - health section on the psychology behind crying over TV shows, and why it's healthy to.

The article states that relationships between ourselves and fictional characters are "parasocial", which means that the characters know nothing about ourselves but we are viewers know everything about them.

A psychologist at the University of Oklahoma, Jennifer Barnes, said that our brains aren't able to identify if the relationships we have are real or made-up, so the relationships we form with fictional characters can have the exact same emotional effect as real people. Barnes believes that as these relationships are conveyed as the same to our brain, this creates "a lot of real-world benefits", such as "self-esteem boosts, decreased loneliness and more feelings of belonging."

Reading this article as a Year 12 psychology student reminded me of Tajfel and Turner's 1979 Social Identity Theory (SIT). The theory states that people formed social groups (for example friendship groups, sporting teams) to feel a sense of belonging, as well as enhance self-esteem and pride. This links directly to the statement by Barnes, suggesting that the reason for our relationships with fictional characters is part of the SIT of improving our self-esteem.

The main protagonist of television shows are typically likable and characters who the audience "roots for". Perhaps the reason that bad events in TV shows that affect our favourite characters resonate so deeply because of the relationship that we have with the characters. One example U have in mind is the infamous 'Red Wedding' in Game of Thrones. The event was shocking and horrific, especially due to the fans of the show, including myself, who support the Stark family.

This article was really interesting and I enjoyed reading it due to its relevance to me as someone who often gets addicted and engrossed to TV shows.

The full article can be read at: http://time.com/4681115/crying-television-this-is-us/