In the digital age, celebrity worship, defined as the social identification and emotional fascination with one's favourite characters (Yue & Yan, 2007), has become a common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Ostracism, the experience of being ignored or excluded (Williams, 1997, 2009), is widely recognized as triggering compensatory behaviors. Also, the Internet makes it easier to obtain the feeling of ostracism. While previous studies have focused on the negative effects of celebrity worship, this study aims to explore the psychological mechanisms of celebrity worship in ostracism contexts and its implications in educational environments. A total of 220 Chinese adolescents and young adults, aged 18-35 (M = 22.60, SD = 2.93), were randomly assigned to an ostracism group (n = 110) or a control group (n = 110). We tested whether ostracism increased worship through the need to belong, and whether self-compassion buffered this effect. Data analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0 Findings suggested that social ostracism significantly increased the complete approval level of celebrity worship through increased need to belong. However, self-compassion did not significantly moderate this relationship. These results suggest that celebrity worship may function as a compensatory response to ostracism-induced belonging threats. This study reveals the potential of celebrity worship to fulfill psychological needs in the face of ostracism for adolescents and young adults. Educators should note the dual nature of celebrity worship, helping students achieve a healthier balance regarding parasocial relationships.

Authors:
Jiashan Lu, Nagoya University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Jiashan LU is an incoming PhD student at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Nagoya University, Japan (April 2026 entry).

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