“Parasocial” is the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year. That feeling that you and Harry Styles would instantly become friends if you ever bumped into each other? Yes, that’s parasocial.

The term dates back to 1956, coined by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl to describe how TV watchers formed “para-social” relationships with those on their screen.

The word has taken on even greater meaning in the age of social media, where we have unparalleled access to the lives of influencers, online personalities, and celebrities via phones.

Take Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. The news triggered mass hysteria online, with many displaying genuine raw emotion for a couple they’ve never even met. Or British singer Lily Allen, whose latest album West End Girl details a breakup

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