Parasocial Relationships

Parasocial Relationships , sometimes referred to as One-Sided Relationships , are illusory psychological relationships experienced by fans of a celebrity or public figure (such as a streamer or content creator) in which the fan considers the person their friend despite having limited or no actual social interactions with them. The term was coined by Donald Wohl in 1956 and saw a rise in online use in the late 2010s, spiking in 2021 in regards to relationships between viewers of Twitch streamers and the relationship between fans of comedian John Mulaney and actress Olivia Munn.