‘Parasocial’ Crowned Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2023
LONDON – The Cambridge Dictionary has named “parasocial” its Word of the Year for 2023, citing the term’s surging relevance in understanding modern relationships with online personalities and the evolving digital landscape. The selection reflects a growing societal awareness of the one-sided connections individuals form with celebrities, influencers, and even AI entities.
The rise of social media and digital content creation has fostered a new dynamic where audiences develop a sense of intimacy and connection with figures they’ve never met. This phenomenon, termed “parasocial interaction,” is increasingly impacting fandom, celebrity culture, and how people navigate online interactions. According to Simone Schnall, Professor of Experimental Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge, the word “is an inspired choice.” She further explained, “The rise of parasocial relationships has redefined fandom, celebrity and, with AI, how ordinary people interact online.”
The dictionary defines a parasocial relationship as a one-sided relationship where one party extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party is fully unaware of the other’s existence. schnall warns that thes relationships can become “unhealthy and intense,” leading to feelings of trust and loyalty despite their inherently imbalanced nature. ”This leads to a sense that people ‘know’ those they form parasocial bonds with, can trust them and even to extreme forms of loyalty. Yet it’s completely one sided.”
Cambridge Dictionary also highlighted other words demonstrating “meaningful impact” this year, including “slop” - defined as low-quality, often AI-generated internet content – and “memeify,” meaning to transform something into a meme. The dictionary expanded its lexicon with 6,000 new entries, adding terms like “delulu,” “skibidi,” and “tradwife” to reflect evolving cultural trends and online vernacular.
