228: Grieving for a Social Media Influencer: Exploring Parasocial Relationships on Reddit with Emily Rose

<p>The rise of social media influencers means it is easier than ever to form parasocial relationships with celebrities or online influencers. Although parasocial relationships are one-sided and don’t involve any contact in the real world, the death of someone whose life you have been closely following online can cause a visceral reaction.<br/><br/>In the case of Dave Hollis, his sudden death at the age of 47 sent a subreddit community of over 13,000 people into an emotional freefall. In this conversation with Emily Rose, digital creator and host of the It’s Become A Whole Thing podcast, you’ll hear about the dynamics of parasocial relationships, how celebrities leverage these types of relationships, and the coping mechanisms that people employ when the other side of a one-way relationship experiences a life event.</p><p><br/></p><p>Key Points From This Episode:</p><p><br/></p><ul><li>The tragic event that shook a 13,000-person-strong Reddit community and how they expressed their grief. </li><li>The story of how Dave Hollis and his ex-wife Rachel Hollis turned their once rabid fans into disenfranchised ex-fans.</li><li>The abrupt emotional shift that often accompanies a person’s death. </li><li>The definition of a parasocial relationship. </li><li>The spectrum of celebrity-focused communities that can be found online.</li><li>Emily’s thoughts on the worst thing that can happen to a celebrity. </li><li>Examples of how celebrities leverage parasocial relationships to their advantage.</li><li>Reddit communities can be a double-edged sword - they can offer amazing support and resources, but also attract trolls who can make the experience unbearable.  </li><li>Aspects of the Hollis brand that make them so relatable.</li></ul><p><br/></p><p>Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:</p><p><br/><a href='https://www.instagram.com/itsbecomeawholething/?hl=en'>Emily Rose on Instagram</a></p><p><a href='https://itsbecomeawholething.podbean.com/'>It’s Become A Whole Thing Podcast</a><br/><br/><a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v