Scientific American recently released an article about how parasocial relationships - one sided pseudo-relationships we develop over time with people or characters we experience on TV or in the movies - are able to alleviate feelings of loneliness.

Well, if Virtual Biographies™ were mainstream by now, they, too, would be included in that list of parasocial mediums which are able to cure the uncomfortableness of feeling companionless.

From Scientific American's article, "Imaginary Friends:"

"...just as a friendship evolves through spending time together and sharing personal thoughts and opinions, parasocial relationships evolve by watching characters on our favorite TV shows, and becoming involved with their personal lives, idiosyncrasies, and experiences as if they were those of a friend."

This is exactly what happens via the social strengths of a Virtual Biography.  People tune-in to a public figure's ever-expanding virtual media empire of content about their life, on a daily basis, and eventually begin to feel as if they have an illusory relationship with the individual.  Obviously, these people can't jump into their car and drive over to their favorite celebrity's house to hang out and play Madden, so they have to settle for the second-best social experience, which is to enjoy participating in their idol's life from afar. 

Even though there's an obvious physical disconnection between the celebrity and their fans in the faux-relationship that a Virtual Biography manifests, the energy of the relationship doesn't feel fake in any way.  Essentially, the subject of the Virtual Biography is living their life out loud online in a manner that makes their virtual life feel just as healthy and vibrant as their physical life is.  In other words, when you're absorbing the individual's content that's delivered by their virtual identity, it doesn't feel as if a digital stranger is interacting with you, it feels like a good friend is sharing theirself with another good friend (You).

So if those silly scientists think their little study on parasocial relationships in relation to fictional entertainment characters was a winner, just wait until their nerdy little minds wrap themselves around the genuine intimacy a public figure's Virtual Biography provides their fans. Their glass flutes and petri dishes will shatter into a billion pieces from the overwhelming results their studies uncover.  (Wow... that was a bit dramatic.  Sorry ;-)