Is Delulu the Solulu?: Delusions and Genz

“No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities.”

Christian Bovee

This Christian Bovee Quote from centuries ago echoes the sentiments of Gen-Z social media users who proudly describe themselves as ‘delusional’ and believe that the true solution to life’s problems lies in giving in to a ‘delusions’ or put differently, wishful thinking. An internet slang, ‘Delulu,’ was popularised by viral Instagram and TikTok content. A deeper analysis of its origins and uses reveals how mental health disorders are dismissed as frivolous and made light of on social media. During the earlier half of 2024, there was a barrage of posts on everyone’s homepage with the word ‘delulu.’ Some wore T-shirts with the word printed in boldface, while others proudly proclaimed that they were ‘delulu.’

Read More: Delusions: Definition, Types, and Treatments

But, what exactly does the term mean?

Origin

‘Delulu’ is a shorthand for ‘delusional’ used by Gen-Z social media users. It originated in the K-pop fandom in the 2010s for fans who were overly invested in their idols. Over time, its meaning changed to define someone who is extremely confident and optimistic. It is used sarcastically to mock people who believe that they will succeed in their personal and professional lives against all odds.

Originally having negative connotations, it evolved as people started redefining the term and associating it with happiness and manifestation. It encompasses a wide range of behaviours from optimal self-confidence to an inflated sense of self, healthy celebrity-fan relationships to toxic obsession, and harmless daydreaming to harbouring unshakable false beliefs. To understand the clinical picture, let’s explore what is meant by a ‘delusion.’

According to Clinical Psychologist Anushka Modi, The “delulu” mentality, often embraced by Gen Z, refers to an exaggerated sense of optimism or delusion, where one imagines highly unlikely or idealized scenarios. For example, someone might believe they’re destined to marry Justin Bieber just because they made eye contact during a concert! While this mindset can spark creativity, self-belief, and the courage to pursue ambitious goals, it’s a double-edged sword.

When grounded in reality, a touch of delulu can push boundaries and inspire bold action. However, if unchecked, it risks leading to disappointment, as the gap between fantasy and reality widens. The key is to balance this mindset with practicality, ensuring that dreams are pursued with a realistic understanding of the challenges ahead.

What exactly are delusions?

According to the American Psychological Association, delusion is an often highly personal idea or belief system, not endorsed by one’s culture or subculture, that is maintained with conviction in spite of irrationality or evidence to the contrary. Delusions can be a symptom of disorders such as schizophrenia or major depressive disorders, or they can manifest on their own in case of delusional disorders.

There are many kinds of delusion but the ones that are referred to as ‘delulu’ in the online landscape are the following:

• Grandiose Delusion: When a person believes they possess a great talent and are extremely important. In the online context, people who have faith in their life choices are often criticised as ‘delulu’
• Delusion of Reference: In this delusion, the person believes that they are receiving special messages via the television or from their favourite celebrity.
• Erotomaniac delusions: A person believes that another person, usually someone famous, is in love with them. This is mostly evident in online fandoms where people form unhealthy attachments with one or more celebrities.

How far can the ‘delulu’ mentality work?

Being ‘delulu’ can be as harmless as manifesting a reply from your crush or thinking that you can ace that test without pulling an all-nighter. Although like many other aspects of mental health, it is often laughed at, the ‘delulu’ mentality can run deeper than the surface and have detrimental effects on an individual. Many people with similar interests connect via online communities and fandoms.

Online fandoms are a place where many people seek refuge. In a study, it was found that online fandoms serve as a ‘safe-haven’ for youth falling under gender and sexual minorities and help them in self-realisation and identity development. But, in these online fandoms exists a toxic ‘idol culture’ which is very prominent among Gen-Z adolescents.

As an increasing number of celebrities are connecting with their fans via social media, parasocial relationships are growing. Coined by Horton and Whorl in 1956, ‘parasocial interaction’ or ‘parasocial relationships’ refer to one-sided relationships between fans and a celebrity or public figure who is completely unaware of the person’s existence. It mirrors offline social interactions to an extent, aside from the fact that there is no reciprocation.

These seemingly benign parasocial relationships can sometimes take dangerous turns. If such delusions become ingrained and all-consuming, a person may prioritise the parasocial relationship over real-life ones, isolate themself from family and friends, and follow the figure of attachment’s words to the t. Such behaviours can go on and manifest in the form of deeply ingrained delusions that sever a person’s ties with reality.

An intense one-sided attachment with a celebrity can lead the affected person to believe that the celebrity is trying to communicate with them in the form of messages sent through social media or other platforms (delusion of reference) or that they are madly in love with the affected person (erotomaniac delusion). These can potentially lead to stalking and cyberstalking. On the other hand, a person who has faith in themselves and is manifesting positive outcomes can become disheartened if termed as ‘delulu.’ Optimism and visualising are essential for success and can be beneficial if practised within limits.

According to Clinical Psychologist Varsha Rani Choudhary, Genz can benefit from the delusions by using them as a coping mechanism to act appropriately in uncomfortable circumstances and to momentarily lessen stress or worry. On social media, it has been a major trend. But by converting these manifestations into actual behaviours without any supporting evidence, “delulu” goes one step further with the idea. The ability to combine such beliefs with some sort of ambition to accomplish some unattainable goals for them has been a mental trick.

“Fake it till you make it” is a typical expression we use whenever something seems difficult to motivate ourselves. Gen Z uses delusions to help them manifest the same thing. It enables them to deal with an ambiguous circumstance where they can feel a sense of control it. It can undoubtedly support some goals, aims, and wishes, but it cannot always be the answer to issues. For example, delusions like wanting to marry a pop star might be harmful in a variety of ways

Is ‘delulu’ the ‘solulu?’

Now and then, people make fake scenarios in their heads or engage in wishful thinking. Such activities are harmless and might even contribute to a person’s subjective well-being. Similarly, a large number of people idolise celebrities and public figures and model their behaviour based on them. In such cases being ‘delulu’ is not a concerning thing. However, in the true sense of the word, a delusion is a false belief that has no logical base but is rooted in emotions, hence it is important to carefully tread the line between reality and make-believe.