The parasocial power of Taylor Swift

Can you be friends with someone who doesn’t know you exist? It’s a legitimate question for members of fandoms – groups of people brought together by a shared passion for an artist, sports team, celebrity or piece of media. At the centre of these groups is a parasocial relationship: a one-sided connection with a public figure. If you’ve heard the term before, it probably hasn’t been in a positive light... Dr Georgia Carroll, an expert on fan culture and Australia’s go-to scholar on Taylor Swift, says the way we understand parasocial relationships is a bit lop-sided. “Parasocial relationships are just one part of our social worlds, and they can be a really healthy, identity-building piece of the pie.” Two of Australia’s biggest ‘Swifties’ share their lived experience of fandom, parasocial connection and community and just how much emotional and financial investment they have made into the Taylor Swift empire. But that’s not to say they can’t go wrong. Georgia explains what happens at the extreme ends of the parasocial spectrum, and outlines how social media and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the nature of these relationships. She also unpacks Taylor Swift’s highly lucrative marketing strategy and how it purposely leans into parasocial connections with fans. +++ The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.