An Evaluation about Television Serials in Turkey in the Context of Parasocial Interaction

Abstract

Parasocial Interaction consists of an important part of interaction realized by using media. Audience’s interaction with characters in fiction of serials is called as parasocial interaction. Audiences usually identify themselves with characters of popular television serials and they accept these characters as members of their own family. Because of having difficulty in separation of temporal and spatial borders in their own real life, such masses’ discourse and conscious is determined by media. At this point, television serials have become a common place in which parasocial interaction is experienced mostly. These serials have a scheduled broadcasting policy and audiences are turned to addiction by using some kinds of textual and narrative methods. Consequently, by identifying themselves with serial characters, audiences are not able to realize the line between reality and fiction. In the content of this study, serials broadcasted in Turkish televisions will be evaluated in the context of parasocial interaction by using current examples. As from acceptance that serials as popular culture material reduce the possibilities of social interaction in society, this study aims to show main lines and dimensions of the relation between television and person who is so lonely in modern society. By resting literature review as scientific method, this study states that how Turkish audiences are retreated into the process of popular culture by using television serials in terms of parasocial interaction concept.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n7p767