Imagine this situation. A major strike ensues in the media,
people can’t agree on budgets and salaries. Before you know it your favorite
shows are no longer on the air. We no longer have a clue on what will happen
with McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy, who
will win The Voice, or how shows
like Parks and Recreation, 30
Rock, or The Office will end. Now, I know that these are just television
shows and we shouldn’t really care, but think about it. As a society we are on
the edge of our seats when our favorite TV shows have a season finale. We are
glued to the television every time it is elimination night on Dancing With the
Stars. Let’s face it, there is no way that we could just go on with lives if
our favorite shows weren’t on anymore without either talking about them or
being upset about it. Why is this? Why do we create these relationships with
characters on TV?
One possible answer that many scholars have studied is called
para-social interaction. You’re probably thinking…para-social HUH? Well this
phenomenon is called para-social interaction, and according to Michael Schudson
is means that we interact (one-sidedly) with the characters we see on TV as if
we know them and they are our friends. Schudson studies reviews of New York
City where the local paper was not produced after a strike had torn apart a
town in 1945. While reviewing this study originally done by Bernard Berelson,
Schudson found that many people views newspaper columnists as part of their
lives with one person stating, “You get used to certain people, they become
part of your family” (p.164). We create a connection with our people in the
media, Schudson calls it a ritual, and when they are taken away we are
“emotionally not prepared for the day” (p.165). So what does this mean for us?
To me I think it takes cultivation theory (the theory that when we see things
on TV we believe it as part of our reality) and makes it relevant and important
to our daily lives. If we have a personal relationships with media figures than
how does that not affect the reality we create for ourselves? 
So know you might be thinking, how does a para-social
interaction, or relationships with a media figure happen? How do these
relationships develop? Two researchers, Rebecca Rubin and Michael McHugh go
through the development of para-social interaction relationships. Rubin and
McHugh state that viewers create closeness with the medium of TV and its
characters. The relationships that develop out of this bond resemble an
interpersonal relationship, or one we would have with a friend or acquaintance.
Interpersonal relationships reduce the uncertainty we have about our friend
leading to more growth within the relationship. Rubin and McHugh studied the
similarities between para-social interaction and interpersonal relationships
and this is what they found. That when we watch television we have an
attraction to the media figure and a para-social interaction with them, this
creates relationship importance. This is similar to the development of interpersonal
relationships (shown below) where the amount of communication we have with
someone constitutes liking and intimacy with that person, creating relationship
importance.
Believe it or not, when we watch TV, we create relationships
with the people we see on screen. Television has more effects than we realize
on our relationships, and by being aware of things like cultivation theory, and
para-social interaction we can evaluate what we watch and be more aware of what
effects TV has on us.
References:
Rubin, R. B., & McHugh, M. P. (1987). Development of
parasocial interaction relationships. Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic
Media, 31, 279-292.
Schudson, M. (2011). The Sociology of News. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you have written an entertaining and educational blog post. I really like your pictures, and they seem like you didn't photoshop them? I also thought the diagram was very helpful. Well done.
Another thing I liked was that you taught me about para-social interactions. Did the author provide a context for what this term means? For example, would posting on someone's Facebook page and having them not respond, or stalking someone, or having a crush on someone who doesn't know you be considered para-social interactions or is it just for media characters behind the third wall?
I agree with your point that we should consider what media we take in. To continue our class discussion from last week a bit, I think our environment has a tremendous impact on how we experience life. Your message about television inputs and cultivation theory applies to every area of life. It has been shown that you "are" the 5 closest people in your life regarding several variables such as wealth and happiness levels. So choosing friends and what TV shows to watch seem to help create who we become and how we relate to each other. I used to watch the news every morning when I got ready for work and I felt ok and I think it did turn some of my interactions negative. Then, it got to be a bit too heavy for me first thing, so I switched to a sports show (Mike and Mike in the Morning). This was lighter and I felt better, but I felt like I was wasting some time. Now, I listen to an educational or motivational podcast every morning when I get ready for work and it seems to have a positive effect on my relationships that lasts all day.
I cancelled cable for a few months this year (then college football came back on), and I have to say I noticed a difference in the way I related to people. Maybe one reason was that I was taking in fewer unrealistic messages from TV shows. Very interesting.
Did the study say anything about movies or is there literature out there discussing how we relate to movie characters? I watch more movies than TV series', and I sometimes develop strong attachments to characters in movies. I am upset, for example, that there hasn't been a Pirates of the Caribbean released for a while. Just curious. Great post.
Jim,
DeleteThank you for your comment! You include very interesting comments and room for discussion. The first thing you ask is what parasocial interaction pertains to, or what the boundaries are for parasocial interaction. Through all the research I have looked up (I hope for this class to keep writing about this topic in relation to my interests) it only pertains to media figures. The research stresses that usually it is only for TV characters, but I would have to disagree. Although the research didn’t specifically state anything about creating a parasocial interaction relationship with movie characters, you ask about it and here is what I propose. I think that “saga” movies such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Bourne Series, Hunger Games, and even Twilight are films that lend to the idea of parasocial interaction. We watch these characters and follow these franchises for years. Developing relationships along the way. I was a product of Harry Potter and when the series ended it was very bittersweet.
As for your second statement about how you used to watch the news and the influence of what we consume can have for us, when you watched the news every morning and then quit, you still switched to some type of informational broadcast. This fulfills the ritualistic part of how we use the media and the parasocial interactions that we can have. For instance, what if all of a sudden Mike and Mike were replaced by Susan and Molly, I’m sure the interactions you have with these people would change.
Jim, I forgot to tell you one thing. My photo's weren't photoshopped.
DeleteAmanda first of all I have to disclose that whenever I say your name I do it with an Antonio Benderas accent. I hope that doesn't offend you. Second, wow, whatever joke you told Jack had him very amused...well done.
ReplyDeleteWhen you first brought up the hypothetical Hollywood strike situation, I thought, "no big deal, who cares?" Then you said, " no way we could go on with our lives without being upset or talk about it" I was like, "that's ridiculous" but then I thought about a recent strike that had me in the dumps, depressed, and uneasy that was involved in television as well...the NFL Referees. Now I completely agree with the notion. But in all seriousness it is crazy to think how emotionally connected we get with actors and actresses on television. The para-social interation principle that people treat actors as part of the family with strong emotional feelings is a bit disturbing to me because these people whether they are acting or not aren't completely real. Celebrities, as we see them in media, are representations of themselves. They are actually often completely different then we view them on television. I lived in the nasty rathole that is Hollywood for a couple years and can speak to the opposite natures of their public and private selfs. But it totally makes sense that we get so attached to people in the media because we do spend a massive amount of time 'with them'. I guess because I'm a bit cynical I find myself falling in "hate" with actors and characters on television more that I fall in "love".
Great blog,insightful and entertaining Ms. Ssozzaaa (impression in words of the accent)
Mike,
DeleteJack and I go way back and when we get together we just like to bull shit with each other like old friends….which we are. As for your comment in which you stated” I guess because I'm a bit cynical I find myself falling in ‘hate’ with actors and characters on television more that I fall in ‘love’.” There is more research out there, (that hopefully I will get to cover before the end of the semester) that states that even when we dislike the characters and this idea of being entangled with their lives in some one-sided way we still are heavily entangled with them through parasocial interaction. I also think that the idea of how crazy it is to think of our emotional attachment, but at the same time think about the media. Using cultivation theory, we know that that the media has a “say” in how we construct our reality (and even the idea of the media being separate from our reality is hard to conceptualize because I believe that it isn’t). With that said there is also uses and gratifications theory, which I haven’t covered, that states we use the media to our benefits. If we are feeling sad, we might watch a movie to cheer us up, or a movie that reflects how we feel. Either way the media has become a part of our life, not just something that is there to use.
Anytime an ongoing blog starts with the title word, "Finally..." you know you are in for something good.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I'm loving the term "para-social." If you use this term again, say for a final blog or paper, hint-hint, I would define the term "para." I just looked it up, and feel there might be a fun connection there. Wondering if they have empirical data for this para-social phenomenon you could share, or whether this is in the theorizing phase. Good stuff either way, would just like to know.
Your writing here shows you know how to write a blog. Good info, without being overly scholastic, for lack of a better word.
I'm missing a conclusion! I think this happened with one of your other blogs, if I'm not mistaken, where it felt like it just ended. I'm wanting a "and so therefore.." conclusion or suggestion for how we can use this information to understand ourselves or our world in a more meaningful way.