BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Live & Learn  >  Friend or Faux: Are Parasocial Relationships Good For Me?

Friend or Faux: Are Parasocial Relationships Good For Me?

Dr Joel Low, Clinical Psychologist

05-Sep-23 14:00

Friend or Faux: Are Parasocial Relationships Good For Me?

Have you ever had that one famous movie star, athlete or public figure that you really admired? Perhaps you’ve even had a “celebrity crush” or feel like they could be your friend? Most of us have probably formed at least one parasocial relationship in our lives, and with social media, these individuals feel more relatable than ever. Why do we form such attachments to people we don’t know? And when does that behaviour border on unhealthy, or even dangerous? Joining us on the show to share more about the psychology behind this is clinical psychologist Dr Joel Low. 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Lim Sue Ann

Presented by: Lim Sue Ann


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  wellness

Tags:  imaginary friendscelebrity culturepsychologysocial media





Play / Pause

Listen now : A Bit of Culture: (REPEAT) Kam Raslan and his two guests, Michael...

Today’s Shows



11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Lawyer David Lim of TSF Law joins us to unpack the 5 key reasons why M&A deals get messy.

12:00 PM

Just For Kicks

(REPEAT)

1:00 PM

A Bit of Culture

(REPEAT) Kam Raslan and his two guests, Michael Gong and Ahmad Yazid to talk about the appeal of action sports, the joy of missing out and what was it like growing up back then.

2:00 PM

Ringgit & Sense

(REPEAT) Chua Kim Soon, CEO of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia discusses insurance for homes against disaster.

2:30 PM

The Property Show

(REPEAT) Recap of Best of The Property Show 2025, Scam edition, examines how property scams happen and how to avoid them.

3:00 PM

Best of The Bigger Picture

(REPEAT) In this Best of 2025 replay, we revisit a conversation with Professor Edmund Terence Gomez on corruption and Malaysia’s political–GLC complex.

4:00 PM

Best of Evening Edition

(REPEAT) We explore ASEAN’s strategic tightrope, from economic dependencies to security dilemmas, and whether a non-aligned stance can truly hold in an increasingly polarized region.

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

Dr Gareth Collett, a retired British Army Brigadier General and engineer, specialising in bomb disposal speaks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili on another episode of The Life Scientific