247. On being parasocial
Ever heard of the word PARASOCIAL?
Cambridge chose this word as its 2025 Word of the Year, a term that was added to the Cambridge Dictionary in 2023.
Parasocial refers to a person who develops a strong, personal connection with a celebrity and with individuals they neither know nor have met.
The term parasocial describes how our relationships can become superficial, where we are willing to risk everything for a stranger we've never even met.
Currently, as the world prioritizes virtual connections over real ones and categorizes them accordingly, our genuine relationships are spread across various places.
The loneliness prevalent in twenty-first-century society has stemmed from technological issues. As reliance on technology grows, cities, neighborhoods, homes, and even individual rooms have become more isolating.
However, loneliness is not a new phenomenon; it has always existed through different eras. People, societies, groups, and countries have all faced it. Still, modern loneliness feels different from what was experienced in the past century.
For people who are heavily engaged with social media and mobile devices, parasocial relationships are both increasing in frequency and becoming more complex.
We tend to forget old friends as we make new ones in a distant world. These new friendships are stored in our memory and imagination, sometimes involving people we've never met or known, but with whom we've still formed a strong bond. We feel a deeply personal emotional connection toward such people.
This is a serious issue that needs attention. We must be cautious not to fall into the trap of believing that the virtual world of parasocial relationships is everything. Step away from the virtual and dedicate time to real relationships.
Only spending time with our loved ones brings genuine happiness, and only authentic relationships hold true meaning in our lives, unlike parasocial connections.
The human mind is wired in a way that we need touch, like hugs and holding hands; these are essential.