>>25310736This is definitely the part which kind of annoys me when it comes to streamers. Not just vtubers.
A large portion of viewers that are having the whole GFE/BFE streams as "purely entertainment" still imagine that they have a relationship, and surely their heart sinks if they hear they are actually dating. The difference with these people and the fringe cases is that they are more self-aware and have a general understanding that it's fake at the end of the day. They are still parasocial as all hell, but they just have a better understanding that they are parasocial.
Or, since we're talking about streaming, the relationship doesn't strictly fit the category of strictly being parasocial, but rather the new category making the rounds, trans-parasocial (=something between social and parasocial).
This is why people tell streamers that they helped them through tough times, and the streamers are sometimes kind of confused on the value they provide. They might even say that they don't deserve the support they get. Some people are genuinely in a shitty situation and need to hear someone talk live to pull them out of their slump. Why do they go to listen to some talking cartoon instead of engaging with their real friends? They might have shitty friendships and shitty relationships, and instead opt for a simulated one. Being slightly too into vtubers is the symptom of being in a shitty situation, not the cause. As is the case usually with most addictions, I might add.