Study Reveals K-Pop 'Delulu' Can Improve Well-Being, Increase Life Satisfaction

Being a "delulu" or delusional fan and loving K-Pop idols and other celebrities can have a positive impact on people's lives, studies have shown.

Dr. Nicola Thomas, a lecturer specializing in psychology in pop culture, recently shared a series of TikTok videos discussing the health benefits of being a fan of someone.

There is some stigma attached to being a fan of celebrities and K-Pop idols, with fandoms sometimes being associated by some with parasocial relationships, which are described by clinical psychologist Adam Borland as "one-sided relationships or bonds with people you don't know."

However, Thomas suggested in one video that "delulu celebrity loving" can increase one's life satisfaction.

The psychologist cited a 2009 study published in the journal Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, titled "Media, Celebrities, and Fans: An Examination of Adolescents' Media Usage and Involvement with Entertainment Celebrities."

"For people who adore celebrity idols for entertainment or social purposes, this can serve as their reprieve from their life stress. That attachment people develop to celebrities and peers bestow emotional support on them and relieve them from life stress, consequently increasing life satisfaction with their own lives," the study suggested.

In another video, Thomas highlighted the positive effects of being "delulu" for K-Pop, including giving fans "a greater sense of meaning in their life" and helping improve their lives overall.

The lecturer pointed out that not only does being a K-Pop stan healthily provide escapism but also being part of a community and fandom has been "massively helpful" to people's mental health.

She cited a paper titled "Escapism and Motivation: Understanding K-Pop Fans Well-being and Identity," which suggested that "the commitments and attachments as part of the K-pop community gives fans a greater sense of meaning and a greater sense of self."

"Being a K-Pop fan carries its own meaning and transcends the music genre; meaning that not only is it due to enthusiasm of [the] community, but it also provides the fan a greater sense of a state of life, an improved state of life," the authors added.

In another video, Thomas helpfully provided a graph for her TikTok followers to see where they are in the "delulu" scale and find out whether or not they have a healthy amount of it.

According to her "Optimal Delulu Zone" graph, when one is too realistic and sees themselves in too much of a negative view, their well-being decreases.

But it suggested that injecting a healthy amount of "delulu" into one's life could boost one's well-being.

One example the psychologist gave was a hypothetical aspiring artist who may be afraid to put out their work due to a lack of confidence in themselves and could start to think instead, "Hey, I could be the one in a million. What I have to contribute to the world is really valuable." This could give them the confidence to share their work with the public and kickstart their career.

However, Thomas warned that if one becomes "too delulu," they could completely lose touch with reality and end up hurting themselves and the people around them.