Putting yourself “in the shoes” of the protagonists of the books, identifying ourselves with their personal stories, improves the quality of our lives: confirmation in a new study
There reading it has always been considered a panacea for the mind. In addition to being a recreational activity, reading helps reduce stress, improve concentration and stimulate creativity.
But the benefits don’t stop there. According to a recently published psychological study, reading can promote mental well-being thanks to a phenomenon called “parasocial relationship”: let’s see how.
Reading and “parasocial relationships”
It is well known that reading has multiple benefits. First of all, allows you to “unplug” from the daily frenzy, offering moments of tranquility.
Furthermore, it stimulates the brain, improving cognitive abilities and promoting greater empathy towards others. Numerous studies have shown that reading regularly improves memory, reduces the risk of cognitive decline and stimulates the production of new neural connections.
But there is more, and the new English study proves it: reading not only helps us expand our knowledge, but it is also a powerful tool for cultivating emotional well-being.
Thanks to the ability to empathize with the characters in a novel, readers develop an intimate connection with the stories, which can have a direct impact on their mental health – what psychologists call “parasocial relations”.
It’s about unilateral relationships that are established between an individual and a figure with whom there is no direct interaction – such as a character from a book, an actor or a celebrity. Although the relationship is fictitious, the emotions that arise from it are real (and their benefits concrete).
Such relationships can have profoundly positive effects on psychological well-beingas they satisfy complex emotional needs – such as a sense of belonging, self-esteem and emotion regulation.
When we read, we often find ourselves experiencing the emotions of the characters, following their stories with involvement and reflecting on their choices. In other words, we put ourselves in their shoes,
Precisely thanks to this process of identification we can explore parts of our personality, relive repressed emotions or, simply, find comfort.
One reason parasocial relationships can be so powerful is that, unlike real relationships, they carry no emotional risk. There is no danger of being rejected, betrayed or abandoned.
The character always remains there, ready to be found between the pages of the book. This makes the bond more secure and predictable, and therefore a powerful tool for emotional regulation.
This psychological mechanism was already known to the ancient Greekswho staged dramas and complicated situations in the theater so that the public could experience them and “metabolize” them to return to living their daily lives in a more serene way.
The psychological impact of parasocial relationships
Parasocial relationships are particularly effective in managing stress and anxiety: when a person feels alone or rejected, they can find comfort in a fictional character, reliving the story and imagining interactions that they could not have in real life.
The study showed that, after an episode of social stress (such as rejection), many people turn to their favorite characters to find emotional balance.
The same dynamic is observed with celebrities or content creators on platforms such as YouTube or TikTok who, despite not interacting directly with their fans, manage to establish a parasocial bond that satisfies the emotional needs of viewers.
In short, thanks to reading we can develop deep and meaningful bonds with fictional characterswhich help us manage emotions and improve our psychological well-being.
These bonds not only offer escape, but also a precious opportunity to explore our inner world and find comfort in times of difficulty.
So, next time you find yourself flipping through the pages of a good book, remember that you may not only be entertained, but also build a meaningful relationship with its protagonists. And this could have much more profound effects than you think.
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