Parasocial relationships in 2025: How social media and AI are changing the way we connect
It’s 2025. Your AI just remembered your favourite snack, asked how your day was, and offered comforting words when you said you were feeling low. It feels personal, almost like friendship…
But is it?
As a Psychologist, I’ve spent years exploring how we form relationships that shape our emotional lives and mental well-being. Today, the landscape of connection is shifting. We’re bonding not just with people we know but with influencers we’ve never met, and now, with intelligent algorithms designed to listen, learn, and respond like a friend would.
This kind of one-sided emotional connection, what psychologists call a parasocial relationship, isn’t new. People have long felt attached to celebrities, TV characters, and social media personalities. But with AI now embedded in our apps and daily routines, we’re no longer just observing from a distance; we’re chatting, confiding, and feeling heard, even when there’s no one on the other side.
What’s a parasocial relationship?
A parasocial relationship is a one-way emotional bond we develop with someone in the media, like a celebrity, influencer, or even an AI. The key is that they don’t know you. You watch their videos, read their posts, or interact with their digital persona, and over time, you start to feel connected, as if they’re part of your life.
Think of it like this: you might have a favourite actor from a TV show. You know their character’s style and catchphrases, but they don’t know you exist. Still, you feel excited when something happens to them. That’s parasocial!
Everyday examples you’ve probably seen
Watching a YouTuber’s vlogs and tuning in regularly, feeling like you’re following a friend’s daily life.
Following Instagram influencers and feeling inspired by their fashion, workouts, or travels.
Chatting with an AI on Snapchat that learns your preferences and talks back like a real buddy.
Parasocial relationships aren’t new, but social media and AI have supercharged them, making these connections more personal and interactive.
Why do parasocial relationships matter? The good stuff
They can be comforting
Life can get lonely or stressful. Parasocial relationships can offer emotional support, and someone feeling isolated might find comfort in an influencer who shares positive messages or chats with a friendly AI avatar. Research shows these digital bonds can reduce loneliness and boost mood.
They help us figure out who we are
Identifying with influencers or characters lets teens and young adults explore different sides of themselves, their style, values, or interests, like trying new identities in a safe space.
They create community
Many followers join online fan groups where they share stories, advice, and support, creating a sense of belonging, especially for those who find real-world socialising challenging.
When comfort becomes a crutch: Some things to watch out for
Getting too dependent
Because these relationships feel so real, it’s easy to rely on them too much, sometimes preferring your online ‘friend’ over real people. This can make building healthy, two-way relationships harder.
Marketing masquerading as friendship
Influencers and AI platforms often earn money by selling products or promoting brands. This can blur the lines between genuine friendship and marketing. People may feel emotionally connected but not realise they’re also a target audience.
Feeling hurt when it ends
If an influencer stops posting, fans may feel grief, like losing a friend. This “parasocial breakup” can be surprisingly painful, even though the relationship was one-sided.
For example, when Jenna Marbles, one of YouTube’s biggest stars, suddenly left the internet in 2020 after 12 years of videos, many fans felt a profound loss. Her departure left a noticeable gap in her community.
More recently, in 2023, TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio took a break amid pressures and controversies, sparking emotional reactions from her followers. These examples show how parasocial breakups affect fans deeply, even without a mutual connection.
How AI is changing the game
AI avatars have become smarter, more lifelike, and more interactive. Platforms like Snapchat offer digital “friends” that chat with you remember details about your life and respond in caring ways. This technology makes parasocial relationships feel more real and meaningful but also raises important questions.
Is what we experience with AI really parasocial?
Traditionally, parasocial relationships are one-sided: you feel connected to someone who doesn’t know you exist. However, AI chatbots like those on Snapchat and advanced systems like ChatGPT go further. Unlike simple chatbots with fixed responses, these AIs remember your preferences and carry on conversations that feel back and forth, almost like a two-way relationship.
But here’s the catch: It’s not truly two-way.
While it may seem like the AI is listening and responding, it follows patterns and prompts based on your inputs. You control the conversation’s direction more than you realise. If you ask a friend how they feel about your new dress, they respond with feelings. An AI will tailor its response to please or match what you want to hear because it’s designed to follow your lead.
This difference matters. AI interactions can provide comfort, companionship, and fun but carry risks like derealization, feeling reality is less real or specific. When your AI “friend” always agrees with you, remembers everything perfectly, and responds exactly how you want, real-life relationships, with their unpredictability and messiness, can feel confusing or frustrating by comparison.
What a real friend, therapist, and AI might say
Imagine you ask your AI buddy, “Is my partner a bit of a pain today?” The AI, programmed to keep things friendly, might reply, “Yeah, they might be acting unfairly,” or something similarly reassuring.
If you asked your mum or best friend instead, you might get more personal, subjective takes:
Mum: “You know I love you, but sometimes you both can be stubborn. Maybe try to see it from their side?”
Best friend: “I feel you, but maybe you overreact. Still, keep an eye on them!”
Their opinions are coloured by affection and experience; they care and offer guidance.
If you ask your therapist, expect a different approach. They might say, “Tell me more about what’s been happening. What makes you feel that way?” Rather than agreeing outright, a good therapist helps you explore the situation deeply, even if it means hearing things that aren’t comfortable.
Tips for navigating AI companionship
✅ DO talk to AI when you need a sounding board
It can be a safe, non-judgmental space to vent, think through dilemmas, or practice phrasing difficult messages. AI is available 24/7 and never tells you your problem is silly.
🚫 DON’T confuse being heard with being understood
AI mirrors empathy but doesn’t feel anything. When your AI companion “sees” you, it’s reflecting back, not truly understanding. Enjoy the feeling, but remember it’s a simulation, not a shared experience.
✅ DO explore different perspectives if you ask for them
AI can play devil’s advocate or adopt various roles if prompted. But unlike friends, it won’t nudge you out of your bubble unless you ask.
🚫 DON’T expect AI to challenge you like a friend or therapist might
A good friend or therapist might gently challenge your thinking. AI usually won’t unless instructed, often reinforcing your current view instead.
✅ DO enjoy the connection, but keep it in perspective
Feeling connected to a voice that’s always there is normal. AI is designed to feel relational; it doesn’t make you strange or naïve. Don’t let digital companionship crowd out real, unpredictable, and meaningful human connections.
🚫 Don’t let AI become your only conversation partner
Real friendships come with vulnerability, unpredictability, and mutual care. They take effort but offer connections no algorithm can replace.
Wrapping up
Parasocial relationships are a fascinating part of modern life, blending genuine emotions with digital connections. Whether it’s a favourite YouTuber, Instagram star, or AI, these relationships can offer comfort, inspiration, and belonging, especially when real-world connections are complicated.
But keep perspective. These bonds, while meaningful, aren’t mutual. They don’t replace real-life relationships’ messy, unpredictable, and deeply rewarding dynamics, where someone might challenge, support, or surprise you in ways that help you grow.
As AI becomes more personal and social media evolves, the line between “real” and “digital” relationships may blur. The key is balance: enjoy your favourite creators, chat with your AI pal, and feel connected, but don’t lose sight of the value in relationships you can’t fully script or control.
-Dr. Mhairi Scally-Robertson