&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Cambridge Dictionary's word of 2025 is 'parasocial': Do you know the meaning of this 'unhealthy' habit")
That strange bond that you feel with celebs who have zero clue about your existence has a word now! It is called 'parasocial' and the Cambridge Dictionary has selected it as the Word of the year. The dictionary defined it as the relationship between an individual and a famous person whom he/she doesn't know personally.
According to BBC, the term originated in 1956, and was coined by University of Chicago sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl. They observed TV viewers engaging in "para-social" relationships with on-screen personalities. The Cambridge Dictionary quoted the emergence of parasocial relationships with AI bots or Lily Allen's breakup album West End Girl. The dictionary explained that there was a surge in the usage of the word after the Youtube star IShowSpeed blocked a fan as his "number 1 parasocial".
AFP quoted Simone Schnall, professor of experimental social psychology at the University of Cambridge and said that he hailed parasocial as an "inspired" choice. "We've entered an age where many people form unhealthy and intense parasocial relationships with influencers. Parasocial trends take on a new dimension as many people treat AI tools like ChatGPT as 'friends', offering positive affirmations, or as a proxy for therapy," he said to AFP.
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