I have unintentionally created a sort of “theme” for my senior year: K-pop. First, I started this blog about Korean culture and entertainment, and then I decided to research K-pop parasocial relationships for my AP Research paper. To be honest, I chose these topics because I thought they would be silly to do, especially for my last year of high school. 

AP Research is a course that allows students to explore an issue, which will be discussed in an academic paper and presentation that addresses a specific research question. For my research, I am studying how scandals involving Korean idols influence the dynamics of parasocial relationships, including the intensity of parasocial breakup and distress among fans. In simpler, non AP Research terms, I am contacting K-pop fans who have been a fan of an idol involved in a scandal to look at how scandals impact fanship.

In the K-pop industry, the term “scandal” is very broad. In the American entertainment industry, when we think of a singer getting into a scandal, we tend to think of more serious situations that warrant a negative response from the public. But in Korea, anything can turn into a scandal. From fabricated rumors about an idol’s dating life to bullying rumors, scandals can become a huge obstacle for idols. I always found this interesting and wanted to research this “scandal culture” and how it impacts fans and idols.

To find subjects to interview, I posted advertisements on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Weverse, Reddit, and even some less-known platforms like Amino and KakaoTalk. Luckily for me and my research paper, finding people to interview hasn’t been too difficult. 

I’ll take a second to praise the K-pop community and how open these complete strangers were willing to help out with a high school research project. Participating in these interviews is 100 percent volunteer-based, and I offer no incentives to encourage participation. My interviews can last anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes; the length of these interviews depends on how in-depth the participant wishes to go. 

So far, I have completed six interviews, all of which have been great. K-pop fans tend to get a bad rep for being weird, but in my experience, they were all kind, genuine people. Of course, there will always be a minority of people who do fall under this category of being a bit odd, but overall, this has been a very positive experience. Thanks to AP Research, I’ve gotten the opportunity to talk with fans from all over the world about their experiences. This did mean that I have had to interview people from different time zones, which has created some unfortunate schedules for me (like at 3:00 a.m., but anything for data, right?).

I am trying to get the bulk of my work done before senioritis hits, but I am looking forward to finishing. If you are interested in participating in my study, fill out this form to see if you qualify (you do have to be above 18 and not currently enrolled in high school).