Parasocial relationships are the one-sided connections someone develops with a celebrity, fictional character or other prominent figure that they don’t know in real life.

In a changing world where social media influencers, YouTubers and podcast hosts feel like close friends, what are the implications of these one-sided relationships? What are the benefits? 

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with two psychotherapists about parasocial relationships about how these relationships develop, their psychological impact and what they mean for our real-world interactions. Are they harmless, or do they blur the lines between reality and fantasy in potentially troubling ways?