Watching a soap opera/series can be very engaging, but to what extent can this involvement go beyond a simple enchantment by the story?
According to Brazilian researcher Kelly Scoralick(2010), fiction manages to involve the viewer, combining information with the image. Making the visual message become a great attraction on the screens, it is with an image that television expands
its fascination. Fiction helps to form mentalities in the individual, building values and narrating reality in its own way, crucially interfering in the construction of
identities. It is the social representation of identities in fiction by a screen. It is a symbol of identification, both individual and collective.
When we decide to start watching a series, most of the time we want a distraction, a way to relax. Often the plot of a series is so good that it makes us live the series as if we were inside it, projecting ourselves onto the characters, living its joys and sorrows. But how "healthy" is this? Until this experience does not interfere with your real life, series are fictional, the actors on the screen are people like any other, and most of the time completely different from the characters they play, and mixing things up ends up bringing a great deal discomfort. Reality is not perfect, sometimes we want to run away from it, from our responsibilities, but living the reality that is there behind a screen is not the best option, because none of that is real, but your life is your responsibilities are.
If at any given time you realize that the plot of a series has disrupted your life and your mental health, it's time to stop, read a book, enjoy your family or even seek professional help.
Érica Cristina Pereira - Psychologist CRP-09/14481
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