Parasocial Relationships in "Amy Poehler's Smart Girls"

From left to right, musician Amy Miles, Producer Amy Poehler, and Producer Meredith Walker of the Youtube channel "Amy Poehler's Smart Girls"

Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Youtube channel highlights women, men, and children who break stereotypes, make an impact through their careers or are empowering subjects to watch and learn from through spotlight based interviews.

A screenshot of an "Ask Amy" Video

Through the videos on this channel, a parasocial interaction occurs with the start of each video where Amy Poehler addresses the viewer directly by talking to the camera. With this tactic, the viewer feels as if they are part of the conversation with Amy Poehler. This relationship is furthered through “Ask Amy” videos where Poehler answers questions asked by the viewer, one on one to the camera. Some topics in this segment include friendship, letting go, embarrassment, and anxiety. By addressing such personal topics in an informal setting, the viewer feels as if they are seeing the real and usually hidden side of the actresses while simultaneously creating the feeling of a normal interaction. The topics and how they are presented make the viewer feel a personal connection and deeper emotional conversation with Poehler, much more so than if one was watching her on television.

This channel also bridges the gap between parental concerns of children’s media use and aids in a child’s social-emotional development. If a child watches this channel, the parents know the child will receive positive, educational, and social messages. Various segments such as the importance of voting, learning about different careers, and learning about different countries are some of the videos that reassure the parent that each aspect of the channel is safe for viewing and doesn't have to be mediated. The videos also ensure parents that the child is learning the importance of social interaction, while also staying away from harmful content due to each videos’ educational, social, and emotional lessons.

From co-viewing this channel, families can have discussions about lessons of empowerment, gender equality, careers, moral lessons, cultures, and emotional lessons. These conversations can be valuable and enlightening for a child to have in order to learn about themselves, others, and the world around them.