Whenever there's a major celebrity gossip that is making the headlines, fans can't help but get invested in the drama, share their take on social media, and turn it into an obsession.
Let's explore the fans' obsession with celebrity gossip and the reasons behind it.
Why Are Fans Drawn to Celebrity Gossip?
There are psychological reasons why people are always drawn to gossip whether it's the people in our lives or the celebrities that we worship.
"We’re social animals and we need to be able to know what’s going on in social environments, so gossip is very helpful," psychologist David Ludden explained.
Another psychologist Dr. Stephen Benning also sees it as a way for us to build relationships with others due to the constant communication that happens whenever you discuss gossip.
"Sharing gossip can bond people socially. It provides a currency of private information that creates a shared sense of the community holding that information," he said.
Even if it's a celebrity, it doesn't mean that people won't have any parasocial relationship with them and we always feel some sort of closeness since we connect with their work.
"What we do is we create parasocial relationships, or imaginary relationships, with them," Ludden explained.
Psychotherapist Britt Frank added, "Gossiping about celebrities is a safer way to interact with a date, ingratiate yourself to a group at parties, or to feel part of a new team at work."
The Downside of Fans' Obsession with Celebrity Gossip
There is also a downside to obsessing with celebrity gossip and negative reasons why people are drawn to it.
While discussing gossip can build relationships, Benning also sees it as a "relational aggression" and makes people feel better about themselves.
"Sharing ‘juicy gossip’ (the information that harms or denigrates the person being talked about) is also a form of relational aggression because it attacks people's social standing and their position in social networks," he said.
Luden echoed the same sentiment, "Lots of the bad gossip is done in an attempt to make yourself feel better than the person you’re talking about. That’s not a healthy approach to building a sense of self-esteem."
In addition, their actions can also cause real harm to celebrities even if they don't meet them in real life.
"Using social media channels to pile on celebrities who are tagged in posts during intense periods of gossip about them can cause genuine mental harm to those celebrities," Benning explained.
Celebrity gossip can be fun for most fans since it is seen as low-stakes and escapism from their daily lives, but just like most things, there are both pros and cons and people should not forget the moral implications of their actions whenever they engage in such.
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!