[HN Gopher] The Blurred Lines of Parasocial Relationships
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       The Blurred Lines of Parasocial Relationships
        
       Author : enigmatic02
       Score  : 37 points
       Date   : 2021-07-17 17:10 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
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       | bongoman37 wrote:
       | I work for a TikTok Style style short video platform and we
       | noticed how these relationships are important for keeping the
       | engagement numbers high. An interesting thing we saw was that
       | investing in D-list creators could have a way higher ROI than
       | A-list creators. An A-list creator could get a large number of
       | followers but would not get the devotion that the D-list creators
       | would get.
        
         | fadeke wrote:
         | Fascinating. I've observed this dynamic too and mentioned it in
         | an earlier draft but cut it.
         | 
         | My guess is that smaller creators have a greater ability to
         | respond to their smaller fan base, deepening these connections.
         | Also, as some creators grow their content becomes more high-
         | production, polished, and #sponsored which might feel less
         | "organic" compared with smaller creators just starting out on a
         | budget.
        
           | antihero wrote:
           | I guess D listers also _feel_ closer and more relatable,
           | like, almost that they're your actual buddies.
        
         | cletus wrote:
         | That makes sense to me. With a big influencer/creator it's a
         | one-way relationship to the audience. With a smaller
         | influencer/creator, it can be more two-way.
         | 
         | So, for example, I watch a variety of streamers on Twitch. On
         | the larger streams, I almost never look at chat or chat myself.
         | It's a sea of text and emotes already. No one in chat will read
         | your message. The streamer certainly won't. So you're just
         | listening or watching like to the radio or TV.
         | 
         | But a streamer with 200 viewers? You can often ask questions
         | and get a response. It's a completely different dynamic.
        
       | March_f6 wrote:
       | I think its pretty safe to say lockdown created a perfect
       | environment for these kind of relationships to blossom at much
       | faster rate and on a much larger scale than normal. Even still,
       | I'd be surprised if the viewership numbers didn't dip drastically
       | on live streams, even with IRL content being offered.
        
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