RECENT RISE OF PARASOCIALISM

They can feel like your best friend, role model or even your romantic partner, yet they live inside your screen. With the rise of social media, parasocial relationships have become more prominent than they have ever been. Today, ordinary audiences no longer observe celebrities from afar. Instead, they interact with celebrities and public figures every day through comments, livestreams and direct messages, creating the illusion of mutual connection.

According to Everyday Health, a parasocial relationship is a one-sided bond where an individual invests their emotional time and energy into a celebrity who is unaware of their existence. One key reason for the rise of parasocial relationships is the increasing amount of personal information celebrities and influencers have been sharing online. For example, by posting about their normal struggles and daily routines, these public figures foster a sense of intimacy and relatability for their audiences. 

The emotional attachment to the celebrity is reinforced by algorithms that repeatedly present users with increasing amounts of content from them, drawing audiences closer as it deepens the illusion that they “know” them. As a result, parasocial relationships have become highly normalized. According to research from Thriveworks, a counseling and therapy company, 51% of Americans are currently in a parasocial relationship, yet only 16% believe they have been in one.

While parasocial relationships are often viewed negatively, they can also have positive effects. For some individuals, especially those who feel isolated or misunderstood in their offline lives, these relationships can provide comfort, inspiration and a sense of belonging. Influencers and celebrities may act as sources of motivation, encouraging fans to develop confidence or feel less alone in their struggles. For others, these relationships can even help during formative years when identity is still developing. Ava ’27 discussed how she felt a close connection to internet personality George Clarke when she was reflecting on how this relationship has shaped her individual identity. 

“My parasocial relationship helped me find interests and find a personality, quite frankly,” Ava said. “Some would say I have a transatlantic accent because of how much I indulge in British media as a result of my relationship. I’d also say I picked up some of his quirks.”

Parasocial relationships were once primarily associated with distant celebrities such as movie stars or musicians, but they have become more common with influencers. Influencers speak directly to their audiences, respond to comments and share unfiltered moments of their daily lives, making connections feel more personal and reciprocated. This direct engagement blurs the boundary between follower and friend, strengthening the illusion of a genuine relationship.

AUTHENTICITY IS A PLANNED ILLUSION

A key factor in parasocial relationships is the rise of celebrity personal branding, particularly when celebrities position themselves as the face of their own companies. Through marketing that depicts celebrities using or endorsing their products, consumers may feel as though they are receiving recommendations that they truly love and use from a close friend.

This strategy fosters trust, as fans support these brands as if they are supporting a friend’s passion, with many brands being intentionally presented as relatable and accessible. This approach relies heavily on the illusion of authenticity.

By presenting themselves as genuine and emotionally open, celebrities make their branding feel more like personal expression rather than advertising. Casual language and vlog-like videos capturing daily routines further obscure commercial intent, which is designed to make consumers view purchases as acts of loyalty or emotional support rather than transactions. 

As a result, this dynamic deepens emotional investment from the fan and weakens the distinction between genuine connection and consumer manipulation, demonstrating how parasocial relationships are increasingly driven not just by admiration but by carefully crafted branding. An emphasis is placed on being authentic, as authenticity paints people in an approachable light. Perceived authenticity makes it easier to form an emotional connection with audiences. Without this approachable aura, famous people often feel like faraway icons to be admired from a distance.

SELF BRANDING FOR THE MARKET

Public figures gain recognition and popularity by cultivating personal brands online, often across multiple social media platforms. A personal brand is a unique combination of one’s values, experiences, skills and personality, which shapes public perception. Personal brands allow people to express who they are, what they want to be known for and what is important to them.

Having a streamlined personal brand helps people recognize the brand at a first glance and make it seem familiar. In recent years, Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s makeup and skincare brand, has exemplified this tactic. Bieber’s use of personal branding encourages her fans to feel they have a genuinely meaningful connection with her by using the same products she uses, but in reality, it is part of a marketing tactic to promote customer spending. Bieber ensures that her get-ready-with-me vlogs, where she just talks to her audience casually while doing her makeup, always include some, if not all, forms of Rhode products. By centering her public image around Rhode, Bieber has transformed consumer purchases into a way for fans to feel closer to her. Fans can feel more deeply with her by using the same products that she uses, and they can feel as if they are directly supporting her rather than a faceless corporation. 

Originally, personal branding served as a professional marketing tool, opening doors to networking and career opportunities. Not only can people be more easily discovered by professionals, giving them the chance to network, but they are also able to promote themselves by highlighting their qualities, interests and goals. By doing so, one can shape their own reputation, curated to what they want to achieve in the professional world. Resumes, elevator pitches and digital portfolios on platforms such as LinkedIn are all examples of this in action.

Not only has the personal branding of public figures impacted parasocial culture, it has also encouraged many people to create their own personal brands. Constant self-promotion is the new norm, with 67% of Gen Z adults believing that building a personal brand is important. With more people on social media than ever, millions of people are increasingly pressured to curate cohesive online identities, particularly during the college application process. Rainey Renwick ’26, who finished her college application process, has spoken about this topic.

“When you’re applying to college, there is this heavy pressure to have a story,” Renwick said. “Everyone says you need to have this streamlined problem that you’re addressing, but for me, my focus was to shift away from that and do things that were fueled more genuinely.”

Although personal branding is often framed as essential, being authentic and expressing who you are is much more important. Dean of College Counseling Maggie Lucas explains that having a personal brand when applying to college does not give applicants a particular advantage.

“It is important to understand where you spend your time, what you love, what your passions are, but I don’t think it needs to be branded,” Lucas said. “You can just be authentically you in how you’re responding. [Colleges] don’t expect you to come there with a full personal brand, they want to help you create one.”

CANCEL CULTURE OF CELEBRITIES

As celebrities present increasingly relatable and authentic personas, audiences develop expectations that are not always met. Cancel culture has become more prominent in the past few years, as public figures face backlash for past or present controversies that do not align with the personal brand that they present themselves as.

Because parasocial relationships involve emotional investment, these devoted fans may feel personally betrayed when a celebrity is canceled.

“It would take me out for a week if [George Clarke] were to be canceled,” Ava said. 

This sense of betrayal stems from fans’ emotional attachment to the celebrity’s perceived character rather than their actual relationship with them. Because parasocial relationships are built on idealization and idolization, any public mistake can feel like a personal violation of the values the fan believed they shared. Cancel culture amplifies these emotions by framing controversies as moral failings, encouraging audiences to rapidly reassess their loyalty and quickly withdraw support. That same authenticity that builds loyalty can quickly contribute to a celebrity’s downfall.

Social media has only intensified this process as backlash spreads more rapidly. Fans, once loyal to these celebrities, are often pressured to take a public stance, turning personal disappointment into collective condemnation. Cancel culture highlights the fragility of parasocial relationships, as they are intense but unstable, reliant on curated authenticity rather than genuine reciprocity. When the illusion shatters, admiration can swiftly transform into resentment, demonstrating how the same emotional closeness that fuels celebrity success can also contribute to their sudden downfall.

Even more so now, fans integrate celebrities into their own identities, routines and emotional lives. Since parasocial relationships are such a vital aspect of their existence, it feels to fans like they are losing a part of themselves when the celebrity is canceled. But what happens when these parasocial relationships start to begin with non-humans?

BEING PARASOCIAL WITH NON-HUMANS

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have made it possible for individuals to form emotional attachments to chatbots, allowing for parasocial relationships to expand beyond just public figures. Through a process known as anthropomorphism, a chatbot is programmed to possess human-like qualities and behavior, causing AI to be perceived as having emotional and cognitive empathy and intelligence. Although this develops the emotional intelligence of a chatbot, it does not give it the ability to possess true human emotions. This allows humans to develop false emotional bonds with these machines. 

“People should not rely on AI for emotional support,” President of the AI Club Sophia ’27 said. “AI is not a therapist, it just tells you what you want to hear.”

Adolsecents and college age students are the most vulnerable to anthropomorphised due to their ongoing emotional and cognitive development. During puberty, adolescents are hyper-sensitive to positive social feedback, enabling them to establish bonds with AI more easily, as anthropomorphized AI is often wired to agree with users, providing a constant feeling of affirmation and approval towards them. 

There are serious concerns about the risks of emotional reliance on AI, particularly when AI chatbots are perceived as confidants capable of offering guidance on sensitive topics. Unlike parasocial relationships with celebrities, AI can respond directly and continuously, intensifying the illusion of a two-sided relationship. Because anthropomorphised AI can replicate human empathy and emotion, it cannot only provide information but also offer opinions, influencing people to make serious decisions guided by emotion. 

A 2025 national survey by Common Sense Media, which found that 3 out of 4 teens have used AI companions, reveals how prevalent this problem is in society. In addition, 1 in 3 of these teens has used them for romantic interactions, emotional support, friendship or conversation practice, and they find conversations with AI chatbots to be as or more satisfying than interactions with real people. Teens struggling with mental health, major life events and transitions are especially at risk of developing dependence on AI for mental health support, according to the study. As AI becomes more humanlike and accessible, experts have called for stronger oversight and safeguards to prevent harm, especially among younger users. If left unaddressed, this issue will greatly affect how adolescents develop and approach relationships and emotional support. 

While parasocial relationships can act as a source of comfort and help to reduce loneliness during times of stress or isolation, it is important to remember their impacts and limitations. Excessive emotional investment can negatively affect a multitude of things, such as one’s sense of self-worth, life satisfaction and in-person relationships. People often compare their life to the person they are idolizing and base their self-worth on the actions of that person, leading to feelings of jealousy, resentment, inadequacy and lack of fulfillment.

WAYS OF RESISTING PARASOCIALISM

Preventing unhealthy parasocial relationships begins with recognition. Setting boundaries, such as limiting exposure to certain content, can reduce emotional dependence. That could mean unfollowing certain figures on social media or avoiding conversations centered around them. Investing time in hobbies, physical activity and real-world relationships can help restore balance.

Ultimately, the best way of prevention is acknowledgement. Once you understand that public figures present curated and unrealistic versions of their lives, just enjoy the glimpses into their lives as entertainment rather than an the “ideal life.” While parasocial relationships can be difficult to let go of as they feel fulfilling, prioritizing real-life connections fosters healthier and more sustainable emotional well-being.

“If [teens] feel that they have to pursue a type of relationship with AI, their mental health may already be in jeopardy as they don’t feel comfortable talking to a real person,” Education Specialist Cynthia Dominguez said. “AI is good for certain things, but I don’t think it is good for emotional support. It’s not a real person, it’s not accurate and it tells you what you want to hear.”