Recently, celebrities have been setting more boundaries with fans, and I think that this is a good thing.

In the past few years, I’ve noticed more and more people treating celebrities on social media like their friends, and not like real people who they don’t know.

Blurred boundaries

In August, after experiencing “too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions,” singer Chappell Roan posted on Instagram about establishing boundaries with her fans.

She stated, “I embrace the success of this project, the love I feel and the gratitude I have. What I do not accept are creepy people, being touched and being followed.”

This post sparked controversy, with many fans agreeing with Roan and applauding her for setting boundaries and others calling her a “diva.”

I am happy to see more celebrities, like Roan, being firm about their boundaries, as I believe it encourages us to do the same.

“In times of loneliness or hardship, going through a celebrity’s social media can possibly feel like an escape.”

The boundaries between celebrities and fans have become blurred since the rise of social media.

Sally Theran, a professor of psychology at Wellesley College, said in an interview with CNN: “The onset of social media has exacerbated our access to celebrities, our sense of ownership, our entitlement, our sense that they, really, almost owe us something . . . There’s something kind of implicit in the social agreement with social media that maybe they do owe us something — they’re making money off us.”

While it is true that it is fairly reasonable to expect some sort of compensation from celebrities in return for fans’ money, it is also important for us to remember that these are real people who have families and lives and are entitled to privacy.

It is not outrageous, I think, for them to ask for this.

Intense and one-sided relationships

Musician Tyler, The Creator, said in a 2024 Rolling Stone article, “Because of the internet, people don’t know personal boundaries anymore and it’s normalized . . . [but] it’s like ‘We don’t know each other.’”

Many fans of celebrities simply enjoy their art.

However, fans can sometimes develop parasocial relationships with their favourite celebrities.

“Personal boundaries are simply limits and rules that we set for ourselves and others.”

A parasocial relationship describes what happens when people form intense one-sided relationships with those they do not know in real life, like celebrities.

Social media has likely made forming parasocial relationships easier, as fans can see photos, videos and articles of their favourite celebrities whenever they like.

Raymond Mar, a psychology professor at York University, said in an interview with CNN: “Some people . . . Might not even be aware of their one-sided relationship . . . Social media, and with it, the constant access to a celebrities’ daily lives, can accelerate a fan’s feelings.”

In times of loneliness or hardship, going through a celebrity’s social media can possibly feel like an escape.

Heidi Godman of Harvard Health writes in her 2024 article: “Parasocial relationships fill a need. Social scrolling, streaming shows or following celebs may tamp down loneliness or offer curated moments of joy and connection.”

Establish our own boundaries

While most of us have probably heard the words “establishing boundaries” in discussions about unhealthy relationships or arguments, it is healthy, in my opinion, to establish boundaries with friends, family and even ourselves.

Personal boundaries are simply limits and rules that we set for ourselves and others.

When we set clear boundaries with ourselves and others, and invite them to do the same, we protect our mental health.

We are stating what we are not okay with, and what we expect.

Author and psychologist Chloe Carmichael told CNN in 2023: “Boundaries can ease interactions between yourself and the world around you, and they can protect your emotions, physical space, feelings, mental health, belief systems or anything else you have to offer.”

We should never be made to feel bad for setting boundaries.

Personal boundaries look different for everybody, but we all have the right to establish clear ones with those around us and ourselves.