By now, you probably know all too well that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have made it official, posting their 2engagement pictures on social media. And fans are celebrating this 3enchanted moment for two people most have never met.
"There has been an online 4tidal wave of congratulations, text messages, excitement, and it has to do with sharing this 5collective experience of an engagement."
Clinical psychologist Susan Albers with Cleveland Clinic says you don't have to have direct experience with something to feel it deeply.
Since many fans grew up listening to Swift, they can 6relate to her. And after years of singing about love, it seems she finally found it.
"It gives people hope that if they believe and have experienced heartbreak, they too can experience an engagement or a 7fairy-tale ending that they are hoping for."
Albers says it's what psychologists call a 8parasocial relationship, a 9one-sided connection to someone you don't know, and she says social media 10aided the fan fascination.
"In this case, they announced the engagement on Instagram in the same way that a friend would. Our brains don't 11distinguish between a friend's post and a celebrity's."
But Albers says it's OK for Swifties to be happy. Don't let anyone 12dim your after-engagement glow.
"We don't have to turn away from the excitement. It is a happy occasion to celebrate, and for those who are 13naysayers, it's often a 14projection of jealousy or fear."
