LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==
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
Sasha Kovacevic
The One-Sided Love Story Between Social Media, Mental Health, and Parasocial Relationships
Biography
My name is Aleksandra Sasha Kovacevic and I’m a fourth year communication student who is interested in social media and advocating for mental health. Prior to becoming an Toronto Metropolitan University Student, I was a high level athlete in both swimming and rowing, where I learned how to problem-solve, be a team player, and to perservere. I’m someone who is very passionate and dedicated in anything I work on and someone who is creative and always coming up with new, creative ideas. In the future, I hope to work within the social media or PR field and advocate for ongoing issues such as the mental health crisis, animal rights activism, and climate change.
Details of Project
This research explores how parasocial relationships (PSRs) and social media engagement contribute to mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. By analyzing social media interactions, particularly on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, the study aims to identify how various content styles—such as personal storytelling, direct audience engagement, and algorithm-driven exposure—affect the intensity of PSRs and their psychological effects. This project focuses on understanding how the intimacy of social media fosters emotional investment in public figures and the potential negative consequences of these attachments.
After researching and examining several case studies, the findings indicate that individuals who engage heavily with influencers and celebrities through PSRs often experience heightened emotional dependency, distress over unreciprocated interactions, and unrealistic social comparisons. Content that portrays idealized lifestyles or fosters perceived closeness without real interpersonal connection has been linked to lower self-esteem and increased social anxiety. Additionally, studies suggest that abrupt changes in a parasocial bond, such as a celebrity controversy, relationship breakup, or death, can trigger significant emotional distress.
Lightning talk
