Parasocial Relationships as a Predictor of Loneliness among University Students in Pakistan

Abstract

Parasocial relationships (PSRs), one-sided emotional bonds with media figures, have become commonplace among Pakistani university students. Earlier work has gone back and forth on whether such bonds ease loneliness or instead grow out of it, but the question had rarely been tested outside Western settings. This study examined the intensity of PSR as a predictor of loneliness among Pakistani university students (N = 268), using the Celebrity Persona Identification Scale and the UCLA Loneliness Scale-Version 3, both of which showed strong reliability. On average, students reported moderate parasocial attachment and low-to-moderate loneliness. The two moved together rather than apart: parasocial intensity was positively and significantly correlated with loneliness (r = .336, p < .001) and predicted it in regression, accounting for about 11% of the variance. Men and women reported almost identical levels of parasocial intensity, with no significant gender difference. The positive direction fits the social-compensation view, that lonelier students seek out parasocial bonds, rather than the idea that a digital companion relieves loneliness. The implications for university mental-health support are discussed.