The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen the term "parasocial" as the word of 2025. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This word expresses the relationships in which a person feels connected to a famous individual they do not personally know. Experts cite interest in the lives of celebrities as an example of parasocial relationships.
For instance, Taylor Swift's personal relationships or albums related to Lily Allen's divorce history attract the attention of many. Additionally, dictionary editors emphasize that parasocial relationships are also forming with artificial intelligence bots.
It has been observed that people sometimes accept such bots as trustworthy friends or romantic partners. The term "parasocial" was first used in 1956 by University of Chicago scholars Donald Horton and Richard Wohl.
They studied the emotional connections television viewers had with characters on screen. Thus, this concept began to be widely applied in scientific and social fields.
