Science says it’s ok to mourn the loss of The Walking Dead characters

According to a recent study it is perfectly normal to mourn the loss of fictional characters like the ones on The Walking Dead! Science says so!

Parasocial Relationships are the one sided relationships we have with celebrities, film, TV & book characters or even your favorite sports team. For a lot of us this is occurs regularly with our favorite The Walking Dead characters. I mean it is a series based on the apocalypse so we are going to lose some people.

Why do we become so invested in make believe lives? Why do we mourn the loss of fictional characters?

We become so engrossed in the stories surrounding the characters that is hard to remember they aren’t real. You go along with them in their fictional lives and tend to get wrapped up in their stories. You feel you are a part of what they are experiencing. Even tho we know they aren’t real we mourn the loss as though they are.

For TWD fans losing a favorite is nothing new. We were all shocked when Sophia walked out of the barn. We hadn’t even known her long but that was a real blow! Through the years we have lost so many fan favorites, Hershel, Glenn, Abraham, and the list goes on. I can remember being so shocked about Glenn and that shock stayed with me for days!

According to Cosmopolitan “Parasocial relationships are more common with individuals strong in imaginative personalities,” explains Dr. Letamendi, on who is most susceptible to the phenomenon. “They are able to immerse themselves in a reality different than their own.” Clear to make the distinction that this isn’t something to hide, she explains, “I also stress that there is nothing inherently unhealthy or maladaptive about strong parasocial relationships.”

So, it isn’t a bad thing! Just don’t let it become so much a part of you that you forget to focus on reality now and again.