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The year 2025 was chosen as the word: parasocial (parasocial, in free translation). The adjective is used to explain the connection someone feels with a famous person they don’t know, with a fictional character or even with an artificial intelligence tool.
According to the editors of the University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, the choice of the word is due to the increase in popularity of virtual assistants that can assume personalities and because of how social networks intensify intimacy between fans and idols — be it a musical artist or a digital influencer.
Cambridge cites some debates that drive searches for the word “parasocial” this year. The first is the discussion about the ethics of taking advantage of “parasocial relationships” with followers to offer advertising. The second, which exploded in June, is about the potential effect of chatbots (programs that simulate conversations) from companies such as (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) and OpenAI (do ) on children and mental health.
In September 2025, the Cambridge Dictionary needed to update the definition of parasocial, and started to include the possibility of a relationship with artificial intelligence. “AI botbots have joined celebrities as objects of parasocial devotion,” explains the publication.
Even with the explosion of searches this year, the term parasocial has existed since at least the 19th century, used to explain the relationship that readers felt with the characters in the works they were reading. In 1956, University of Chicago sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl observed that viewers developed parasocial relationships with TV personalities, who were viewed in the same light as friends or family.
“The word parasocial reflects the environment of 2025. What was once an academic term has entered everyday language,” commented Colin McIntosh, editor of the Cambridge Dictionary.
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And what does Taylor Swift have to do with it?
The American singer is cited as one of the explanations for choosing the word of the year. Cambridge used as an example the announcement of the star’s engagement to football player Travis Kelce, in August this year, which caused searches for the term “parasocial” to explode.
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This occurred as an attempt to understand the reaction of the singer’s fans, who even without knowing her personally, felt as if they were watching a “childhood friend” announce her marriage.
