📌Love thread media, k-pop researches, and the attachment theory

(my recent thoughts and researches) Modern psychology has worked to explain caracteristic differences using a well-known model called “the Big Five”, which was created by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa. This model outlines human personality through five broads, continuous dimensions:

• Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness,and Neuroticism . 

These dimensions don’t put people into strict boxes, instead, they look at stable tendencies that everyone has to different extents. Studies show that these traits tend to stay pretty consistent over time, and also can be seen in various cultures, and are shaped by both biological and environmental factors like John, Naumann & Soto explain in their researches named “ Paradigm shift to the integrative Big Five trait taxonomy”.

Research involving twins and families has also pointed out a strong hereditary aspect to these traits, while still recognizing the impact of life experiences and social surroundings. In short, these traits can be genetics and can impact people around us but to a limited extent.

So, in short, some folks are just naturally more caring and protective (High Agreeableness), while others are super expressive and charming (High Extraversion). Then there are those who feel emotions deeply (High Neuroticism), and some who are really disciplined and responsible (High Conscientiousness).

We have to keep in mind that these traits aren’t just something we feel inside, they really affect the people around us.

Studies in social psychology show that : 

• people who are empathetic tend to inspire trust more easily,
• those who are expressive grab more attention,
• those who offer reassurance help build a strong emotional relationship.

Basically, some personality traits can lead to predictable social outcomes.

Attachment theory, created by John Bowlby, tells us that humans naturally look for sources of security, consistency, and emotional support, which makes certain types of people especially appealing . Albert Bandura also showed that we learn and grow by watching those we admire, which is a key way to understand why we imitate charismatic or idealized figures. In real life, though, this effect is mostly felt within a small group: family, friends, and work. 

So what's the link with the medias ?

In our daily lives, i say it again i know but, you can really see these dynamics in small groups like family, close friends, or coworkers. The relationships in these settings are straightforward, mutual, and rooted in genuine interactions. However, the media industry aims to artificially broaden these interactions. It doesn’t create these connections or personalities, but it steals them, boosts and spreads them widely, showcasing them to millions of people all at once. What works on a small, human scale in real life then becomes a global tool of attraction and seduction.

And how is it a problem ?

People don’t just randomly like certain traits. Personality psychology models, especially the Big Five, show that our own traits really shape what we look for in others. Whether we’re more empathetic, anxious, extroverted, conscientious, or open, we naturally find ourselves attracted to specific qualities in other people. This is a totally normal and human thing! We often seek out in others what helps balance our own emotional needs: stability when we feel anxious, expressiveness when we’re low on emotional energy, gentleness when we’re feeling insecure, and confidence when we’re doubting ourselves.

It's really important to remember that these traits aren't just things we feel inside. They actually have a real and noticeable impact on the world around us, and that's the key thing to keep in mind: the impact.

In real life, these things usually happen between a few people. You might admire a friend, feel comforted by someone kind because he is actually kind by nature, or look up to someone you find inspiring be he actually is. It’s natural, and it stays small.

What the media industry and the K-pop industry does is take those same feelings, same traits and use them in order to link people to these idols an celebrity. 

• Instead of one comforting person, millions of people see the same comforting traits that isn't genuine.
• So something that normally works between a few humans is repeated on a worldwide level.
• That’s how attraction and attachment become global, not because fans are “weak,” but because the media and kpop system steal normal human feelings and spreads them everywhere at once.

and why this is problematic ?

• It becomes problematic because these feelings are first of all completely faked and second of all those aren’t happening in a normal situation anymore.
• In real life, when you admire someone or feel emotionally close to them, there’s balance. You can talk to them, disagree, grow apart, or move on. The relationship has limits.
• In K-pop mostly, those same but faked feelings are pushed non-stop, but without real balance.
• The idol can’t respond to you personally.
• They can’t set boundaries with each fan.
• They can’t adjust the relationship if it becomes unhealthy. But the emotions keep growing anyway.
• So the brain keeps reacting as if there’s a real connection, while reality never catches up. That gap can cause : emotional dependence ,feeling overly attached to someone you don’t actually know, feeling hurt, jealous, or anxious over things you can’t control and difficulty separating admiration from personal identity.

The problem? The problem is when normal human feelings are intentionally stole , then amplified, repeated everywhere, and never given a natural ending. This is the reason why media world and mostly kpop feel different, and why this calculated idol act like a 3 years old.

• This can slowly become overwhelming, especially when the system benefits from keeping fans emotionally engaged for as long as possible.
• This is also why K-pop fans can be 14 years old or 80 years old. Psychological traits don’t target an age group, they respond to behavioral needs that every human being is born with. 

Needs like: 

• security
• recognition
• connection
• reassurance
• or inspiration don’t disappear with age!!
• They simply express themselves differently over time. When an industry builds characters around these universal demands, it naturally reaches people across generations. That’s why K-pop doesn’t rely on age-based marketing, but it relies on psychological alignment.