What Is a Parasocial Relationship? [Video]

You—yes, I’m talking to you—are, or have been, in a parasocial relationship. It could be the feeling of comfort when you hear the chatter of your favorite podcast hosts or an exasperated shout at the TV when a reality-show contestant fumbles the bag. Maybe a refresh of the Instagram feed always brings one particular influencer’s story to the top or you feel like you’ve grown up with a similarly aged pop star.

Fandom has long been a way for people to form their identity and find community, strength, and entertainment. It has become the leading lexicon of the internet, where fan accounts can rally a pop star’s followers to break streaming records, and the instantaneous, always-on nature of the digital space can create direct lines of communication with an extremely online actor du jour. Celebrity-dom today means receiving unsolicited advice and opinions on their career andpersonal life. Some people are …