Parasocial Relationships
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Everyone has their favorite celebrity or personality they like to occasionally keep up with. Some take it a step further and fall into a parasocial relationship. These relationships have been subject to great discussion recently, with parasocial even being named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025.
One-sided emotional ties to people you don’t know (or those who don’t exist) are called parasocial relationships. Parasocial relationships can develop for a few reasons, such as regularly seeing a celebrity on a show and developing warm feelings for them, or because the safety of these relationships provides a space free of rejection for people with low self-esteem.
These strong bonds can help the fan in multiple ways. In 2024, Koreaboo shared replies from a Threads post asking, “Have you been saved by an idol?”, where many detailed how their favorite idol/group helped them navigate their struggles. Another scenario is when celebrities speak out on topics with a stigma attached, helping break that stigma for many of their fans. Hearing something from someone you feel strongly about can have a greater impact on you. This can be seen in an open letter written by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, opening up on her diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), on her foundation’s website in 2016.
There is another side to these relationships, however. While they may provide comfort to people with low self-esteem, prolonged dependency could worsen loneliness and social skills. As time goes on, you forget that the person you are devoting your time to does not know you at all, potentially causing you to forgo real-life relationships and even engage in dangerous behaviors such as stalking. For example, in 2019 a German manmade multiple attempts to meet South Korean singer Im Nayeon such as roaming around a neighborhood he believed she lived in and even going so far as to approach her on a flight to hand her a love letter, causing her great discomfort and anxiety.
If you believe you are in a parasocial relationship with a celebrity, you should find friends and family with whom you actually share a relationship and spend more time with them. Additionally, be mindful that celebrities are human too and have boundaries that need to be respected.
Liking and even admiring a celebrity is fine but be sure not to fall into the illusion that you know each other.
Writer: Rahul
Published: 27/04/2026
References
(BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, 2022 : Parasocial relationships: How to tell if you’re in one and what to do about it)
(Born This Way Foundation, 2016 : “Head Stuck in a Cycle I Look Off and I Stare” A personal letter from Gaga)
(Channel NewsAsia, 2024 : IN FOCUS: We're all fans now – but where's the line between admiration and obsession?)
(Cambridge Dictionary, 2025 : Word of the year 2025)
(Derrick, Gabriel & Tippin, 2008 : Parasocial relationships and self-discrepancies: Faux relationships have benefits for low self-esteem individuals)
(DW, 2020 : K-pop singers harassed by German ‘stalker)
(Harvard Health Publishing, 2024 : Do parasocial relationships fill a loneliness gap?)
(Koreaboo, 2024 : “Have You Been Saved By An Idol?” Question Gains Attention As Netizens Flock To Share Their Stories)
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