Romanticisation of Toxic Partners In Stories: Psychological Impact
Abstract:
This research studies the many impacts of reading a problematic literature to a person's mind. It offers a contribution to current debates in the field of cultural policy about the social impact of the arts. 60 people were interviewed in total via twitter, tiktok, discord and Facebook for this study to be made.
Introduction:
"It's just fiction It won't impact people" people have been saying for years. It has been a debate whether or not does it actually affect the mind of a person, some with saying "it's because you are a minor". But does ages have anything to do with the impact of it to a person's mind? Are minors just more easily influenced compared to the adults? A total of 60 people were interviewed, varying in ages 16-25. All these people were interviewed seperately and shared their insights and a psychological assessment was done on them. There had been multiple stories depicting toxic relationships and with how mainstream they are, it raises an alarm to many people on how toxic partners are being glorified on social medias, with example "Jaekyung" from a manhwa called "Jinx" by a Korean author called Minghwa. That is extremely popular right now on the BL community.
Methods:
Stratified sampling was used for the purpose of this research study. A total of 60 people, varying in ages 16-25 were chosen to be interviewed anonymously based on their taste of series in romance.
Findings:
Out of 60 participants surveyed, 37 individuals (approximately 61.7%) reported that the romanticisation of toxic relationships had negatively affected their approach to or experiences in romantic relationships.This included difficulty setting healthy boundaries, confusion between affection and control, and tolerance for emotional manipulation.
One participant had said:
"My last relationship was awful, I couldn't say no to my boyfriend whenever he'd ask for sex. I thought I always had to agree and it took me ages to see this was becoming toxic."Several respondents expressed feelings of emotional burnout, anxiety, low self-esteem, and even depression linked to their relationships. Many noted that they struggled to identify abuse or manipulation because it was disguised as romance in the content they consumed."I have no idea what actual relationships are supposed to be, my references are only these love stories I read."
As the participants used love stories as a reference for navigating real relationships, many reported feeling confused or frustrated when their relationships did not meet the picture-perfect portrayals.
Discussion:
This suggests that repeated exposure to such portrayals may desensitize viewers to red flags or lead them to associate toxicity with passion or deep love. For instance, participants cited characters in toxic relationships from manhwas (Jinx, Bj Alex, Under the Green light, Withered flower, Full Volume and many more) as examples of "healthy relationships" with a "few hindrances" despite having many red flags.Additionally, social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter often feature fan edits or jokes that glorify toxic characters, further blurring the line between harmful behavior and romantic ideals. Another findings is the so-called "redemption arc" in reshaping the audience perception of toxic characters. In many cases, characters who exhibit controlling, manipulative, or very abusive behaviors are eventually portrayed as redeemable, often through a tragic backstory or a bare minimum done by the character.These trends may reinforce the idea that jealousy, control, or aggression are signs of love because "they can be redeemed" as the trends depicts them.
Results:
The data collected from 60 participants 37, approximately 61.7% of the the participants. Have had an impact of how they see relationships in real life.A significant amount of respondents about 80.3% reported that they had previously romanticized or defended toxic characters due to their "depth" or "tragic backstories." Such as Jiwon (Bj Alex, Minghwa), Dowon (Love is an illusion, Fargo), Taeju (Low tide in twilight, Euja) and many more which mainly includes "Semes" from popular BLs. These characters were often described as “complex,” “misunderstood,” or “in need of love,” despite displaying patterns of manipulation, possessiveness, or abuse.Interestingly, many of participants also stated that they had seen fan edits and memes that made toxic couples look appealing, depicting them as just "Somebody rough" which influenced their opinions. Many admitted they were first introduced to the idea of these relationships being "sexy" through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter.However, not all respondents were influenced and were aware of the toxicity in these romance manhwas but continued to enjoy the drama itself. They had a clear boundaries.The qualitative responses from open-ended questions revealed that media literacy did played a role in how respondents interpreted a romantic relationship.