Current Affairs - International - Discussion

Parasocial was chosen as the Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year for 2025 due to its growing relevance in modern culture. The term, first introduced in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, originally described the emotional connections viewers developed with television personalities. Over time, the concept has expanded to include one-sided emotional relationships people form with celebrities, online creators, fictional characters, and even AI systems. Its selection highlights the increasing impact of digital environments on human interaction, as more individuals form meaningful yet unreciprocated bonds with media figures and virtual entities.