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Coining the term -

The concept of a parasocial relationship was first devised by psychiatrists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl in their 1956 article ‘Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance.’

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In basic terms -

Put simply, a parasocial relationship is a non-reciprocated relationship that a media consumer enters into with a media persona.

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Examples -

People in parasocial relationships have been known to form them with celebrities, social media influencers, animated characters, and film and TV personalities.

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Platonic or romantic -

While existing research tends to focus on parasocial friendships, it is also possible for parasocial relationships to take on a romantic dimension.

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Benefits -

At first sight it may seem that parasocial relationships are delusional and therefore unhealthy, however, there are some surprising benefits to them.

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Stronger feelings of belonging - Being in a parasocial relationship can help some people feel more self-confident and comfortable in their own skin.

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Stronger feelings of belonging -

By building up their confidence and helping people believe in their own self-efficacy, parasocial relationships can help people have stronger feelings of belonging.

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Can help with loneliness -

Another benefit of parasocial relationships is that they can help tackle loneliness. For many people, parasocial relationships are an important source of interaction.

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Can help with loneliness -

This became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social relationships became more difficult to maintain, due to lockdowns and social distancing.

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Can help with loneliness -

Although research on the topic is still limited, there is evidence to suggest that many people turned to media personas during this time to satisfy their need for interaction.

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Stronger social relationships -

Finally, there is also evidence to suggest that parasocial relationships can help strengthen social relationships.

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Stronger social relationships -

It is perfectly possible for more than one person to maintain a parasocial relationship with the same media figure, and discussing those mutual parasocial relationships is a great way to strengthen social connections.

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Stronger social relationships -

Moreover, fans often create groups in support of their favorite artists and media personalities, and being a part of those groups can be a great way to meet people.

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Drawbacks - There are, of course, some drawbacks to parasocial relationships. Most importantly, research shows parasocial relationships have great power to influence a person’s opinions.

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Negative influence - For example, being in a parasocial relationship may influence a person’s political views or purchasing behavior, and that influence is not always positive.

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How parasocial relationships form - Parasocial relationships form much in the same way as social relationships. That is, when a media user meets and becomes acquainted with a media persona.

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Example interactions - An example of an initial parasocial interaction may be seeing the persona in a TV show or movie, or following them on social media.

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Thinking about it afterwards - If the interaction causes the media user to think about the media persona after the interaction, then a parasocial relationship can form.

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Nurturing the relationship -

In turn, the media user can nurture their parasocial relationship by pursuing further parasocial interactions. Sometimes it can even lead to what experts call "parasocial attachment."

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The end of a parasocial relationship - Indeed, research suggests that the experience of a parasocial relationship coming to an end is much the same as when a social relationship comes to an end.

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Case in point - For example, when the TV show ‘Friends’ ended, the people who were in parasocial relationships with the characters suffered the most.

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Why parasocial relationships form - In terms of why parasocial relationships form, it is important to understand that humans are social beings that crave connection.

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The same connection -

Since our brains never evolved to distinguish between the people we see and hear through media and those we see and hear in real life, parasocial connections can be enough to satisfy that craving.

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Normal and common -

As strange as it may sound, most experts on this topic now agree that engaging in a parasocial relationship is normal and very common.

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No delusion -

It is also important to note that most people in parasocial relationships know that the relationship is not real in the sense that it is not reciprocated.

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The influence of social media -

However, researchers are currently questioning whether social media may have the power to change parasocial relationships and help them take on a social dimension.

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Existing research -

Indeed, a particular area of interest is whether the ability for a media user to contact a media persona directly, and perhaps even receive a response, will change the nature of parasocial relationships.

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Going forward -

Until now, most of the research has focused on parasocial relationships with TV and film personas. It will be interesting to see how social media changes the field. 

Sources: (Verywell Mind)

See also: The sad reasons why some good relationships don't last

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