What term describes the belief that people are giving you special messages through media?

The term that describes the belief that people are giving you special messages through media is "ideas of reference." This concept refers to the notion that external events, particularly in media, are directly related to oneself. Individuals who experience ideas of reference may interpret benign messages or events as having significant personal implications or meanings. For instance, they might believe that a television show, news report, or social media post is specifically directed at them or holds a personal message.

This phenomenon is often seen in certain mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, where an individual may develop a distorted thinking pattern. Understanding this term helps in recognizing how one's perception of reality can be altered, particularly in the context of social interactions and media consumption.

In contrast, paranoia involves irrational distrust or suspicion of others, delusions refer to firmly held false beliefs despite contradictory evidence, and hallucinations are sensory experiences (like hearing voices or seeing things that aren't present) that do not have an external stimulus. Each of these conditions represents different aspects of altered perception and reality distortion, but ideas of reference specifically focus on the interpretation of external information as having personal relevance.