![]() ![]() “Consider journaling or talking to someone about the meaning that this character held for you,” she says. According to licensed marriage and family therapist Erica Curtis, it’s helpful to look into your personal attachment to the character and explore those feelings. If you find yourself taking the death of a character or the ending of a show hard, there are solutions. "When we witness a character experience pain, happiness, loss, or any emotion, our brain recognizes that and we immediately start feeling that same pain as if it was real," Forshee says. It makes total sense why you’d feel sad about the loss of a character or feel empathy for them when their storyline takes a turn for the worse. Raise your hand if you’ve ever ugly cried over the death or downfall of a fictional character on TV. Here’s how to tell if your attachment to fictional TV shows is unhealthy - and what to do about it. They, on the other hand, know literally nothing about you, because again, they don’t exist. If you think about it, especially when you’re a die-hard fan who’s watched a show from the very beginning, you probably know everything there is to know about your favorite character and are able to rattle off trivia facts like who their friends are, their love interests, their favorite place to eat, and more. His words have stuck with me and helped me get through times of doubt.īut even though these relationships can feel authentic, in reality, these types of bonds are what psychologists refer to as parasocial relationships, aka human connections that are strictly one-sided. Amid the couple's witty banter, Charlie responds to Jen's paranoia by saying, “Some things aren’t conspiracy some things just are.” Despite the fact that this little nugget of wisdom comes from someone who A.) has no idea who I am or what my story is and B.) isn’t real, his words hit close to home for me. For example, self-esteem boosts, decreased loneliness, and even feelings of belonging are all real-life benefits you can reap from the fictional bonds you create when you regularly watch a TV show, Barnes told TIME.įor example, I’m currently watching Dawson’s Creek from start to finish (yes, I realize I'm about two decades late on this one), and in one episode, Michelle Williams’ character, Jen Linley, over-analyzes a new relationship with a heartthrob named Charlie, played by IRL heartthrob Chad Michael Murray. As a result of this, she explains, "a bond begins to form." Your attachment to fictional TV shows has a scientific explanation.Īccording to Jennifer Barnes, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oklahoma, it’s because of your brain's inability to differentiate between real and fictional relationships that you're able to still feel the same kinds of emotions from one as you would the other. "When there’s a character that you feel emotionally connected to, despite the character’s personality likely not being who they really are in the real world, your brain recognizes the human emotion they are portraying and starts to feel connected to those characters," Forshee tells Elite Daily. ![]() Danielle Forshee, LLC says it's perfectly normal for someone to become attached to fictional characters on TV because of how our brain recognizes human emotion. Doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker Dr. ![]() You would think someone who studied fiction in college would be capable of separating herself from what’s real and what’s not, but according to experts, it’s not the fantasy of a TV show that draws you in, but rather the very real emotions captured on the show that get you so involved. So, why do I get so attached to TV shows if I’m fully aware the people and storylines before me are 100% fabricated? This was the first time I’d felt this deep connection to a TV show, but it wasn’t the last. I felt a void, as if instead of saying goodbye to fictional characters, I’d parted ways with four of my best friends. Soon enough, I was invested, and when the series finale came and went, I pined for Tuesday nights with Aria, Emily, Hannah, and Spencer. But that all changed when Pretty Little Liars came into my life. Growing up, I was never the kid who sat in front of a TV and lost myself for hours.
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