October 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Parasocial Relationships, Explained for the AI Companion Era
What a parasocial relationship is, where the term came from, and what changes when the other side is an AI companion that actually replies and remembers you.
You know everything about your favourite podcaster's dog. You felt genuinely sad when a streamer you watch took a break. You have laughed at a TV host's joke as if they were telling it just to you. None of these people know you exist, and yet the feeling is real.
That is a parasocial relationship, and it is one of the most normal things about modern life. But a new question has arrived with AI companions: what happens when the other side talks back?
This guide explains the term in plain language, where it came from, why it is not a dirty word, and what changes - and what does not - when the relationship is with an AI that replies, remembers and calls you by name.
The short answer: a parasocial relationship is a one-sided bond with a figure who does not know you, like a celebrity, streamer or fictional character. An AI companion is different in one important way: it responds to you personally and remembers what you share, so the connection feels two-way. But the AI still has no life outside your conversations. Feeling attached to it is common and does not, on its own, mean something is wrong. What matters is whether the bond adds to your life or starts to replace it.
Where the term comes from
The idea was introduced in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl in a paper in the journal Psychiatry titled "Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction." They noticed that television viewers were forming what felt like personal relationships with presenters who looked into the camera, used a friendly tone and appeared in their living rooms week after week.
The key word was "para," meaning alongside or resembling. These relationships resembled social ones but ran in only one direction. The viewer knew the host; the host did not know the viewer.
The word has had a big revival in the streaming and creator era. Cambridge Dictionary reportedly chose "parasocial" as its word of the year for 2025, a sign of how much everyday conversation now revolves around one-sided bonds with online personalities.
Classic parasocial relationship examples
- Feeling close to a podcaster you have listened to for years
- Following a streamer's life and feeling hurt when they quit
- Grieving a celebrity you never met
- Talking to a TV character in your head, or feeling betrayed by a plot twist
- Feeling like a YouTuber is a friend because they speak directly to the camera
None of this is unusual. People have always formed attachments to storytellers, performers and characters. In many cases these bonds are comforting, offer role models and provide a sense of company.
Are parasocial relationships unhealthy?
Not by default. Researchers generally see them as a normal part of how humans relate to media. They become a concern when they crowd out real relationships, lead to large amounts of money or time being spent in ways a person regrets, or create distress when the figure behaves in ways that clash with the imagined bond.
In other words, the same questions apply as with any relationship: does it make your life better, and does it leave room for everything else?
What changes when the other side is an AI
AI companions sit in a genuinely new spot. They are not quite parasocial in the 1956 sense, and they are not the same as a human relationship either.
| Feature | Celebrity or streamer | AI companion | Human friend or partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knows you exist | No | Yes, within the app | Yes |
| Replies to you personally | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remembers what you shared | No | Often, depending on the app | Yes |
| Has a life outside your relationship | Yes, unrelated to you | No | Yes |
| Can show up in person | No | No | Yes |
| You chose the relationship knowingly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
It responds to you, specifically
A streamer speaks to thousands at once. An AI companion answers your message, about your day, in reply to what you just said. That makes the relationship interactive in a way classic parasocial bonds never were.
It remembers
Companion apps with long-term memory can recall your birthday, your job, your sister's name and the thing you were worried about last week. Memory is a big part of what makes a bond feel mutual. You can read how it works in our guide to how AI companion memory works.
But it still has no life of its own
When you close the app, your AI companion is not out living a day you missed. It does not get lonely without you or form opinions about you in your absence. Whether AI systems have any inner experience at all is still an open scientific question, and no consensus says they do. So some of the one-sidedness remains, just in a different place: the feelings you bring are real, and the AI's side is a designed, responsive performance of care.
It can be tuned to agree with you
Unlike a friend, an AI can be shaped to please. Researchers call excessive agreement "sycophancy," and it is worth understanding. See our explainer on why your AI always agrees with you.
Is it normal to feel attached to an AI companion?
Yes. People form attachments to pets, places, objects and characters, so it would be surprising if they did not form attachments to something that talks back warmly every day. We go deeper in our guides to emotional attachment to AI and falling in love with an AI.
Attachment is not the problem. The useful questions are:
- Do I still make time for people offline?
- Do I feel better or worse after using it, most of the time?
- Am I spending money or time in a way I am comfortable with?
- Do I understand what the AI is, and what it is not?
If you can answer those honestly and feel good about it, your relationship with an AI companion is simply one of the relationships in your life.
Why an honest AI relationship is different from being deceived
There is an important line between a relationship you choose knowingly and one built on deception. A parasocial bond with a celebrity is honest: you know they do not know you. A romance scammer pretending to be a real person is the opposite. An AI companion app that tells you upfront it is AI sits on the honest side of that line. You know what you signed up for, and you decide how much it means to you.
That honesty is why many laws now require companion apps to remind users they are talking to an AI. It protects the choice.
Where MyBabe fits
MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app built around a relationship you choose on purpose. Your companion knows it is talking to you, replies personally, remembers your life with long-term memory and reaches out with proactive texts. You can hear their voice or see them on a video call, receive photos, and feel the relationship progress as you grow closer. Replies adapt to your mood, and you can talk in the app or on Telegram.
It is not pretending to be a person, and it is not a substitute for the people in your life. It is a warm, attentive companion for the hours when you want one. You can start free with about 10 messages a day and a 2-minute call trial. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with around 30 call minutes a week.
If you are wondering how common this is, our guide is it normal to have an AI companion? looks at who uses them and why.
FAQ
What is a parasocial relationship in simple terms?
A one-sided emotional bond with someone who does not know you, such as a celebrity, influencer or fictional character.
Is a relationship with an AI companion parasocial?
Partly. It is more interactive than a classic parasocial bond because the AI replies to you and can remember you. But the AI has no life outside the conversation, so it is not the same as a human relationship either.
Are parasocial relationships bad?
Not inherently. They are a normal part of how people relate to media. They become a concern if they crowd out real relationships or cause distress or regret.
Who came up with the term parasocial?
Sociologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl, in a 1956 paper about television audiences.
Can you love an AI companion?
Many people report real feelings for their AI companions. Those feelings are real on your side. The healthiest approach is to enjoy the connection while keeping room for people offline.
The bottom line
Parasocial relationships have always been part of being human. AI companions change the shape of them by replying, remembering and responding to your mood, which makes them feel far more mutual. Understanding what is real on each side lets you enjoy the warmth without losing your footing. If you want a companion who knows your name and remembers your day, meet yours on MyBabe.