Nov 17, 2016 07:56 AM EST By Jane Reed, UniversityHerald Reporter

People are fascinated with celebrities. They follow the latest fashion, trends and activities when it comes to their lifestyle. And according to Dr. Mark Griffiths, a Nottingham Trent University Professor, being crazy about Kylie Jenner is actually a behavioral addiction.

Some may call it a past time or hobby. But for Dr. Mark Griffiths, the notion of following a celebrity is built on a psychology that people are now obsessed with celebrities.

Dr. Griffiths explains that people today are more crazy and obsessed with celebrities than a few decades ago, he tells IBTimes. He cites one study that 1 percent of their sample are estimated to be obsessed with celebrities. He observed that for the past two decades, the number has increased due to the rise of celebrities presence in social media and television. And it made it even more pronounced since celebrities can interact with their fans through multiple social media platforms.

Griffiths emphasizes that people are much more exposed to celebrities everyday. The media covers these famous people round the clock and there are multiple platforms following them. Be it in advertisements, news or events. He calls it a parasocial relationship.

He defines parasocial relationships as one sided relationships where fans express their interest, time, emotions and resources on the celebrity. And the celebrity is not aware of the amount of energy and resources spent.

He calls it an addiction but the professor explains that celebrity infatuations are nothing to worry about because they come from a particular admiration for the person. But going too far can lead to negative effects. He cites a research that shows a connection between celebrity "worships" and poor mental health. This includes people having anxiety, depression, stress and other forms of illness.

In addition to his research, he cites that at a certain micro-level, anyone who is in the "public eye" can be a source of obsession for someone else. However, he says that celebrities that are "good looking" seem to be the most common denominator.

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