Abstract
This chapter is based on an extensive ethnographic interview with a fan who exhibits extreme admiration for a couple that are Olympic ice dancing champions. The interview describes the role that the skaters play in her everyday life and the ways in which watching their videos functions as a means to reduce stress. Moreover, through a deep connection established on social media, the informant explores her mediated social connections with other fans and followers and the friendships she has formed though her travels to see the skaters perform. Through this analysis, we can extrapolate from her experience how culture has evolved from the parasocial to imaginary relationships to mediated social connections in the age of digital media.
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Notes
- 1.
McKenna, M. (March 12, 2018). Tessa Virtue Talks Social Media, Self-Care and Yes, Scott Moir. Fashionmagazine.com. Retrieved from: https://fashionmagazine.com/beauty/tessa-virtue-nivea/
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Baym, N. (2000). Tune In, Log On: Soaps, Fandom, and Online Community. London: Sage, p. 83.
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Baym, N. (2010). Personal Connections in the Digital Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.
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Heimans, J. & Timms, H. (2018) New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World—and How to Make It Work for You. New York: Doubleday Publishers, p. 1.
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Ibid.
- 6.
Finley, K. (June 1, 2017). Pied Piper’s New Internet Isn’t Just Possible-It’s Almost Here. Wired. Retrieved from: https://www.wired.com/2017/06/pied-pipers-new-internet-isnt-just-possible-almost/
- 7.
Patients Like Me website. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.patientslikeme.com/
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Alperstein, N.M. (2019). Conclusion: What About Us?. In: Celebrity and Mediated Social Connections. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17902-1_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17902-1_8
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