Really feel a connection to a star you don’t know? There’s a phrase for that | Taylor Swift

If you’re questioning why Taylor Swift didn’t reply to your social media submit providing congratulations on her engagement, then Cambridge Dictionary has a phrase for you: parasocial.

Defined as “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know”, parasocial has been chosen by the dictionary as its phrase of the 12 months, as individuals flip to chatbots, influencers and celebrities to really feel connection of their on-line lives.

The time period first emerged in 1956 when University of Chicago sociologists noticed TV viewers partaking in “para-social” relationships with onscreen personalities, mirroring their bonds with household and pals – besides this was a one-way attachment.

Opportunities for asymmetrical relationships have mushroomed within the web period, with social media and now synthetic intelligence taking a distinct segment educational time period into the mainstream.

“Parasocial captures the 2025 zeitgeist,” mentioned Colin McIntosh, a Cambridge Dictionary editor. “Millions of people are engaged in parasocial relationships; many more are simply intrigued by their rise. The data reflects that, with the Cambridge Dictionary website seeing spikes in lookups for ‘parasocial’.”

The dictionary cited Swift’s engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and Lily Allen’s confessional breakup album West End Girl as parasocial moments of the 12 months, with AI chatbots additionally getting a point out as they turn out to be confidants, pals or romantic companions.

Simone Schnall, professor of experimental social psychology on the University of Cambridge, mentioned parasocial relationships have “redefined fandom, celebrity and, with AI, how ordinary people interact online”.

Schnall mentioned individuals have turned to influencers as belief in mainstream and conventional media breaks down, which may result in “unhealthy and intense relationships” with social media stars. Meanwhile, parasocial ties with celebrities like Swift can result in obsessive interpretations of lyrics and heated on-line discussions.

Young persons are significantly prone to chatbots providing the phantasm of a relationship.

“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,” she mentioned.

The dictionary added or up to date a number of AI-related phrases this 12 months – together with “slop”, the time period for mass-produced, nonsensical AI pictures and movies which can be cluttering up social media feeds all over the world. Another is “memeify”, the act of turning a picture right into a meme that spreads shortly throughout the web.