Cambridge Dictionary's 2025 Word of the Year is "parasocial," describing one-sided emotional connections, often through social media, with celebrities, influencers or even AI personalities.

This "social-but-not-truly-social" trend reveals a paradox: While some young people invest deeply in these curated relationships, they may avoid forming real-life bonds.

Supporters see parasocial ties as low-effort social enrichment and a natural evolution in a digital age. Critics warn they cannot replace genuine human contact and may weaken personal development and community cohesion.

Feng Shangyue (Gmw.cn): Parasocial relationships are now a mainstream social reality. Moving young people from the virtual to the real world requires more than advice—it demands diagnosing the deeper needs that virtual connections fulfill.

For Gen Zs, academic and life pressures create stress. Real friendship, with its demands for time and responsibility, feels like a high-cost investment. In contrast, parasocial bonds offer predictable, low-effort emotional solace without risk.

Urban design amplifies this retreat. Locked in a wearying loop of work, home and commute, many young people lack the energy for spontaneous socializing. Public spaces like community centers often fail to offer events that resonate, leaving a void filled by digital alternatives.

There's also a skills gap. Many desire "perfect" interactions and lack tools to handle disagreement or compromise. This fear fuels a vicious cycle: Avoidance weakens social skills, which in turn increases avoidance.

Breaking this cycle requires a two-pronged approach. Cities must transform public spaces into hubs of meaningful, accessible community activity. At the same time, educational institutions must treat social and emotional development as part of their core curriculum, building the confidence and competence needed for real-world connection.

Xiong Yu (Guangming Daily): To some extent, "parasocial" is a perfect kind of social contact. Young people will see only the shiniest aspect of their idols and thus get the purest mental satisfaction, while keeping away from complicated problems and difficulties that can come with interpersonal relationships.

The deep emotional needs for understanding, listening and empathy, once met only through close relationships, are now widely satisfied by stable, low-cost technology. In comparison, real-world relationships can feel clumsy, unreliable and emotionally expensive.

The rise of "parasocial" and AI-driven connections shouldn't be seen as a curse. It highlights existing flaws in human interaction and may even help people adjust their social behavior through AI guidance. We should acknowledge that, in some ways, AI can be more patient and understanding than many humans.

Rather than blaming technology for reshaping our social world, we might instead ask ourselves: Am I truly willing to listen to others? And am I ready to pay the emotional price required to sustain meaningful human bonds?

Liu Zhuoran (Guangzhou Daily): The rise of "parasocial" connections lets us feel closer to people and ideas that once seemed out of reach. Following scientists online, for instance, can widen our horizons and enrich our inner lives. As technology advances, these one-way bonds will keep taking on new forms, and there's no need to fear that shift, as long as we remember their limits. Virtual ties cannot replace the warmth and shared growth of real relationships. No algorithm can offer a genuine hug, and no AI can stand in for the deep bonds that take courage to build between people. BR

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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