taylor swift is not your mother

the halo effect and stan twitter

the “halo effect” is a psychological bias where a positive impression of a person influences one’s overall perception of them. in “the age of magical overthinking,” amanda montell describes this as the “unconscious tendency to make positive assumptions about a person’s overall character based on our impressions of one single trait.”

we are guilty of making snap judgments when provided with limited information. this is a cognitive bias, meaning no one is innocent of the halo effect; it’s a very familiar mental shortcut used in everyday life.

for example, a job recruiter may determine that a potential candidate is qualified if they appear well-dressed and well-spoken. they may perceive this trait as an extension of good character, rendering the stranger as efficient, capable, and intelligent. in even more common scenarios, you might believe that the stranger who held the door open for you at the coffee shop is kind, patient, and maybe even a little into you!

psychologists consider the halo effect a form of social survival and an extension of our desire for coherence. coming to a quick conclusion about someone’s character allows us to decide who to trust, follow, and interact with.

similarly, we are oblivious to nuance. humans enjoy believing that the world makes sense, existing in black and white rather than a variety of colors. it would be easier to believe in good and evil, heaven and hell, stanned or cancelled. holding conflicting ideas about someone is uncomfortable — we would rather love or hate something rather than lie in the middle. however, in modern life and internet culture, this bias has led to extreme behavior.

being a celebrity has extended far beyond being celebrated for your talent. there is no balance between work and life. whether it’s singing, acting, or dancing, fans will always feel that they are owed more content in return for their dedication — more pursuits, more behind-the-scenes footage, more of an insight into their favorite celebrity’s life. perfumes. movies. interviews. for many, it’s exhilarating to feel so involved in the life of a complete stranger. this has led to tragedies at the hands of rabid paparazzi and crazed fans.

but where does the line get drawn?

in 2025, many fans feel entitled to their favorite celebrity’s sexuality, love life, political beliefs, or even their whereabouts. this level of investment is where the term “parasocial” comes into play.

i’m sure it would be easy for you to think of an example of a celebrity whose stardom grew out of control. pop culture is both mainstream and unforgivingly brutal, yielding often catastrophic results, but never enough to prompt a change.

according to pew research, 90% of people feel a strong attraction to a celebrity, with 65% percent feeling a strong attachment to multiple celebrities at once. as stan twitter would call it, these are the “it girls,” “mothers” and “icons.”

there have been many think pieces about both taylor swift and her dedicated fandom, which is practically a breeding ground for parasocial behavior. yet, in the past couple of years, swifties have been scrambling to explain her unaddressed actions.

swift has maintained her all-american good girl image for over a decade, and many of her fans have applied the halo effect to her persona in the most extreme manner. she has reached the impossible status of being able to do no wrong, thus rarely being held accountable, even if she’s appearing morally ambiguous and contributing to roughly 2.5% of global carbon pollution with her private jet.

her vinyl variants and hidden gems within her music videos are her secretly communicating with fans rather than calculated pr, and anyone in her personal life is blessed with this invisible shield of immunity (cough cough, travis kelce).

since fans enjoy swift’s lyricism, visuals, and artistry, they believe that she must be superior, thoughtful, and always on their side. she is merely an outlet, meaning she is expected to both embrace and reflect her fans’ beliefs, opinions, and desires, leaving no room for individuality or privacy.

for many fandoms, stan twitter serves as an outlet for community and companionship. since i grew up in the digital age, i have many friends who have spent years forming friendships and interacting with their favorite celebrities under these fan accounts. so, as i mentioned nuance earlier, it’s important to note that i don’t believe taylor swift, swifties, or stan twitter are inherently good or bad.

focusing on stan twitter specifically, this outlet quickly turns into bullying, trolling, and comparison — sometimes even causing the stans themselves to turn on their idol. over the years, both swift and other celebrities have had to plead for privacy, turn off comments, or flee the platform entirely. (chappell roan gets cancelled and then un-cancelled practically every day!)

the halo effect, stan twitter, and swifties bring up relevant discourse around digital identities, escapism, and loneliness. every generation is faced with its own set of challenges, and we are the generation of dissociation; desperate for a shared belonging and emotional safety as the world crumbles around us. if you don’t know who you are, it’s easy to form your identity around someone else, while being encouraged and enabled by others who do the same.