• Experts say these emotional bonds fueled by social media reshape fan behavior, consumption patterns, celebrity culture
• While such bonds can offer comfort and community, they also carry risks of financial strain, mental health harm

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

As digital platforms blur the boundaries between public figures and their audiences, parasocial relationships – one-sided emotional bonds formed with people users have never met – are becoming more intense, widespread and economically powerful, experts say.

Once largely confined to academic research, the term parasocial relationships has moved into mainstream discourse as social media, livestreaming and algorithm-driven content foster a constant sense of intimacy between fans and celebrities, influencers and even artificial intelligence chatbots.

Parasocial was chosen as Cambridge Dictionary’s 2025 word of the year, though the concept itself dates back decades.

The idea was first introduced in 1956 by researchers Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, who observed that television audiences developed feelings of familiarity and emotional closeness with on-screen personalities.

Today, however, constant online access, personal posts and direct replies create an illusion of closeness – making parasocial bonds feel more real than ever before.

Examples range from devoted K-pop fan communities to influencers’ followers and emotional reactions to celebrity life events, such as fans crying over US pop star Taylor Swift’s engagement to NFL player Travis Kelce.

Manufactured intimacy fuels emotional investment

Mel Stanfill, a professor at the University of Central Florida, told Anadolu that social media has dramatically amplified parasocial relationships by turning intimacy into a strategic product.

K-pop, in particular, markets a manufactured sense of closeness, Stanfill said, explaining that celebrities increasingly blend their professional brand with carefully curated glimpses of their private lives.

This constant exposure deepens fans’ emotional investment, she said, sometimes motivating extraordinary loyalty – and, in extreme cases, troubling behavior.

Stanfill pointed to stalker incidents involving K-pop idols and historical cases such as the 1981 assassination attempt on former US President Ronald Reagan, driven by an obsession with actress Jodie Foster, as examples of how parasocial attachment can turn dangerous.

She added that these relationships increasingly shape economic behavior, turning consumption into a marker of loyalty and status within fan communities.

She also warned that cancel culture dynamics within fandoms are often mischaracterized, sometimes obscuring accountability or disproportionately targeting marginalized groups, while the rise of AI-generated content risks further blurring reality and intensifying misinformation.

⁠Illusion of reciprocity strengthens fan loyalty

Parasocial relationships shape people’s daily lives, mental well-being and consumption habits, and can form not only with real celebrities and influencers but also with fictional characters and even AI avatars.

Gayle Stever, a media psychology researcher at Empire State University in New York, told Anadolu that social media has blurred the boundary between purely parasocial and genuinely social interaction.

“What happened with the advent of social media is that we started to get into this gray area where it wasn't exactly a social relationship because you didn't have access and they were of higher status,” she said. “But people started getting responses on social media from celebrities.”

That perceived reciprocity strengthens loyalty, she said, benefiting artists and creators whose careers increasingly depend on highly engaged fan bases.

“The fan base is their bread and butter,” Stever said.

Increasingly, she said, fan bases are vital to celebrities’ success. Artists such as the K-pop bands BTS and Blackpink, as well as major US stars, benefit from fans mobilizing to boost streams, charts and promotional campaigns out of devotion.

⁠Benefits and risks for mental well-being

Experts stress that parasocial relationships are not inherently harmful. In some cases, they provide emotional support and coping mechanisms.

Stever cited the example of a cancer patient who found comfort in listening to singer Josh Groban’s music, describing it as a bond that offered reassurance without direct interaction.

Such relationships can also foster community, motivate travel and social engagement, and help people manage loneliness or stress.

However, Stever warned that parasocial attachments can become unhealthy, as seen in extreme cases where people “marry” AI-generated characters.

Adolescents experience emotions more intensely as they form their identities, she said, often leading to stronger attachments to celebrities than among adults. In some cases, that vulnerability can translate into harmful extremes, including eating disorders, financial strain from excessive spending and social isolation.

She stressed that individuals with existing mental health issues may also be more prone to extremes and should receive appropriate support.